Shuffled Playlist
by LeafyxThiefy
Summary: A collection of Songfics! revolving characters of One Piece and their respective ships. All sorts of ships, regulars and crack ones. Ooc-ness. AU's
1. Can you Feel the Love Tonight (LawLu)

**So... This happened! XD I own neither One Piece nor Disney, if the Disney Police takes me... now you know why. I apparently fail... The song is from Lion King, first movie.**

 **Summary: Can you Feel the Love Tonight, Law and Luffy go out. Sabo and Ace decide to follow.**

 **Enjoy!~**

* * *

 _"I can see what's happening"_ Ace said rather bitterly as he peeked out from the corner of a building. His dark eyes ignoring the way his wavy hair swayed into his line of sight due to the gentle sea breeze in favor of eyeing the pair that was walking precariously close to each other, _too close_ for his liking.

 _"What?"_ Sabo asked tilting his head slightly while raising an eyebrow in his brother's direction. He hadn't wanted to tag along, but the older of the three had insisted and despite all the blonde's protests had dragged him along. Now here they were, both of them sneaking through the shops like a couple of stalkers as people all around them went about their everyday things, some about to close up shop for the day, and others staying open for the many couples that walked across the boardwalk.

 _"And they don't have a clue."_ The dark haired man continued his grip on the corner of the wall tightening until his knuckles whitened from the strain, causing the blonde to question again.

 _"Who?"_

 _"They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line: Our trio's down to two!"_ The older of the two said rather exasperated as if the answer was one that Sabo should have come to realize by now.

 _"Oh."_ was all Sabo was able to muster as he too peeked over the edge of the building now wishing to see the sight that was riling up the older so much.

 _"The sweet caress of twilight. There's magic everywhere." Ace said_ suddenly too swept up in his brother-complex to give much mind to the romanticized words that were spilling from his lips. _"And with all this romantic atmosphere!_ _Disaster's in the air!"_ Sabo heard him huff in an annoyed breath concluding that Ace thought this was the worst possible thing that could happen to them.

* * *

 _Can you feel the love tonight?_

 _The peace the evening brings_

 _The world, for once, in perfect harmony_

 _With all its living things_

* * *

 _'So many things to tell him*. But how to make him* see? The truth about my past? Impossible! He'd* turn away from me.'_

Law had been hesitant on asking Luffy out on this date.

The two were friends introduced by Law's step sister Nami after he had come back from medical school. And though he had initially thought that the teen was a giant pain in the ass, he eventually began to grow on him. And after much teasing and pestering from a certain orangette, Law had finally taken the plunge and asked the dark haired teen to walk with him down the boardwalk.

Law was not a social butterfly like the rest of his adopted family was, he had seen things no ten year old should ever be subjected to. When he was younger, his family and him had contracted an awful sickness, some called it a poison, others a disease. Through some miracle, Law had survived it and lost his family in the process, he had watched them deteriorate. Whenever Law so mentioned the sickness he had once had, people would look at him like he was the walking incarnation of Amber Lead Sickness. Not to mention the patches that decorated his skin were unusual and had caused further alienation for the young child.

For three years he had thought he was destined to be alone without someone to care about him until a clumsy blonde man whisked him away to a happy family. And it was for this very reason that he had hesitated being close to anyone but Cora and his puppy Bepo. Law was cold and uncaring to the world with the exception of Cora, and the occasional talks he had with Bellamere, Nojiko and Nami. And the two work friends.

The surgeon bit his bottom lip as he looked down to the teen who was currently munching on the giant web of spun pink thread. The more time Law spent with Luffy, the more he began to crave the youngers company. Enough so that he began to wonder if maybe, just maybe he was willing to try to let Luffy into his bubble of comfort.

If Luffy could find it within him to look past the sickness Law had once had and surpassed, could the younger possibly love him back?

* * *

 _'He's holding back, he's hiding. But what, I can't decide. Why won't he be the king I know he is? The king I see inside!'_

Luffy offered his brilliant smile to the surgeon.

He could never unsee the sadness that lurked just behind those mesmerizing gray eyes. Those sames eyes now seemed to glow in a near silver hue when the waning sunlight hit them just right. And it was all Luffy could do to keep himself from pushing up on his tippy toes, cup the older man's jaw and bring him down to his level in order for him to gaze into those pools of melted silver.

Luffy had fallen for Nami's brother the moment he had first been introduced to the man those two years ago, but the other had always avoided him like the plague. Luffy had never taken it personally, and never held it against Law even after they became friends and spoke more and more. Luffy, however, had always wished that he could help ease that haunted look behind those eyes. A man like Law deserved to be happy, he was kind and caring no matter how much he tried to hide it, Luffy had long seen through the barrier he had put up between himself and the rest of the world. He had seen it in the small acts if kindness he did for his family and the few friends he had. And the way that he interacted with his Siberian husky Bepo.

There was a warm heart in the man, and Luffy wanted to nurture that small flame, to love the surgeon and to make him smile.

* * *

 _Can you feel the love tonight?_

 _The peace the evening brings_

 _The world, for once, in perfect harmony_

 _With all its living things_

 _Can you feel the love tonight?_

 _You needn't look too far_

 _Stealing through the night's uncertainties_

 _Love is where they are_

* * *

The two brothers had followed the couple at a safe distance, the blonde often having to resort to pulling the older of them back in a few key moments. When Luffy shared his cotton candy with the astounded surgeon. The moment that had nearly taken Sabo's list of most endearing had been when the Surgeon, after three tries mind you, had won one of the top prizes for their younger brother. And of course Luffy had been more than ecstatic when he was handed a giant plushed toy of a blue nosed raindeer.

However, what really took the cake was when the two slowly reached out for each other. Their fingers laced slowly, neither of them wishing to rush the action and wanting to see how the other would react. Sabo, at that moment, wished he could have had a camera to capture that sweet innocent moment between the two blushing ravens.

 _"And if he falls in love tonight. It can be assumed?"_ Sabo mused a small smile tugging at his lips, wondering what his brother's thoughts were on the entire situation now. After all Trafalgar Law really wasn't a bad guy and from what they had on that boardwalk, they could tell that the older man's intentions with Luffy held no ill feeling.

Sabo approved of the relationship. Ace, however, he wasn't so sure of.

 _"His carefree days with us are history."_ Ace said reluctantly as his eyes looked to where Law and Luffy walked hand in hand. His voice suddenly taking on a sharper, mischevious tone. " _In short, Torao* is doomed."_

* * *

 **XD and this my friends is what happens when I listen to Disney songs. Just a little song fic... is this how song fics are made? I think so, I've never tried my hand on one until now.**

 ***For obvious reasons her/she were changed to him/he, and Torao replaced 'our pal' otherwise the song is left untouched***

 **Let me know what you think? Please :D the review button welcomes you with open arms!**

 **Anyway, I'm sorry for the lack of updates lately! I'll do my best in the upcoming weeks. Also check out an open poll on the profile page for DHS, I need help on that before the next update! Thank you for reading!**


	2. One More Night (KiddLaw)

**I think it's safe to say that I am hooked on this collection. This was meant to be a stand alone song fic, but after a conversation with a friend, well this blossomed. *Read the bottom note after***

 **Song / Movie: One More Night - Maroon5**

 **Pairing: KidLaw**

 **Summary: Law and Kid have been together for a while now, but what exactly is their relationship based on, where is it heading?**

 ***Note Law and Kid are the same age in this AU, Law is older by 3 months, they're both currently 20.**

 **I own neither One Piece nor anything revolving Adam Levine or Maroon5. Enjoy!~**

* * *

 _You and I go hard at each other like we're going to war._

 _You and I go rough, we keep throwing things and slamming the door._

 _You and I get so damn dysfunctional, we stopped keeping score._

 _You and I get sick, yeah, I know that we can't do this no more._

* * *

Eustass Kid growled deep in his throat, he was not happy. He was not entertained and he was certainly not in the mood to put up with anything. Kid could not calm the raging storm that was currently ravaging every single shred of patience and understanding within him. Not that he had much of that, but now he had a considerably less amount of either or those virtues.

Kid was not amused not in the least and if his sudden abuse to the wooden door wasn't enough of a clue to his destructive mood, then his thundering footsteps down the hall surely demonstrated his current agitated state. The redhead was tired of it all, he was tired of this shit! No Kid had had enough, and he would be damned if he was going to hold anything back.

Not anymore.

* * *

Law had just arrived home after an excruciating day of 18 hours worth of work at the hospital and had taken a seat at the kitchen table. He was expecting to get some sort of relaxation, or at least allow his mind to catch up with the rest of him. Law always felt sluggish when he came home after a long shift at work, but lately, things have been… bad at home and arriving this late at night usually did nothing to help him. Not with his insomnia, not with his constant fatigue, and certainly not with the situation with his lover.

Law's entire frame suddenly went tense as he heard the slam of their bedroom door. "Great..." he breathed in annoyance, speak of the devil.

"Just fucking great!" the words were mumbled and his head lowered as he clutched both hands to his head trying and failing miserably to keep the headache from splitting his head into two.

'Maybe that wouldn't be so bad...' he thought cynically. 'at least then I wouldn't have to deal with the raging shit storm.'

Law didn't have to glance at the clock to know that it was near three in the morning, his internal clock had long since told him what time it was, but that wasn't the issue. The issue was that Kid was awake. Law had so desperately hoped that the younger of the two was asleep like he should be. Kid had school in the morning and had to be up early, granted they both did, but Law was used to the sleepless nights at the hospital. His insomnia made sure of that.

Every heavy foot fall made Law's head throb with more intensity and caused his hands to tighten their grip. But he remained silent, waiting for the inevitable blow up that was to follow.

That's all they did as of late. Fight, not only physically but verbally too, ugly heated messed up words were exchanged by the two supposed lovers, and it seemed that tonight was not going to be any different than the rest.

* * *

Kid finally came to a stop at the entrance to the kitchen and just... glared at the older man before him, his boyfriend of three years. Kid's dark eyes studied him, his russet eyes analyzing the sight that was Trafalgar Law. He allowed himself to take him in, to really look at his lover. Law's head was ducked and his hands were holding his head with such a fierce hold, there was no doubt in the redhead's mind that the older of them was currently dealing with the headaches that plagued him due to his sleep disorder. Russet eyes traveled along the unkept raven tresses, watching as they spilled over his features effectively hiding the older man's face from Kid's gaze. His posture was not inviting in the least and Kid could see as those slim tattooed fingers tightening their hold upon his head.

The poor guy needed some sleep.

For a single, short second the anger within the red head vanished.

* * *

 _Yeah, but baby there you go again, there you go again, making me love you._

 _Yeah, I stopped using my head, using my head, let it all go._

 _Got you stuck on my body, on my body, like a tattoo._

 _And now I'm feeling stupid, feeling stupid, crawling back to you._

* * *

This wasn't the first time Kid's anger wavered at the sight of his Surgeon, or was the man even his anymore? Kid questioned this a lot as of late, more than he liked and every time he came up with an answer he could not, or rather would not accept.

And maybe that was the reason he often channeled his anger towards the raven in different ways. Kid would often pull him into his arms snake his arms around that slim muscular body and claim those soft lips. He would ravage that enticing mouth before moving onto the rest of him, his palms leaving their bruising impressions into the tanned flesh marking him as much as those tattoo's did while he too went through the same treatment.

Kid just wanted to be assured that what they used to have was still there. Yet, no matter how many times he dragged the older man to their bed or vise versa, it was just that. Physical carnage, long gone were the late night talks, the comfort of cuddling and waking in each others arms.

Tonight Kid did not want to vent his anger in that way though, no amount of making up or angry bed play was helping, and this thought… this feeling of helplessness, that they were no longer able to control; that was what made the redhead furious, and he took it out on the nearest outlet he had, which so happened to be conveniently sitting before him.

"You're not even going to say 'Hey, how are ya?' Because let me tell you Law, I'm fucking peachy keen. Want to guess why." The red haired man growled out, not failing to notice the tense form of his lover flinch under the words.

* * *

 _So I cross my heart and I hope to die_

 _That I'll only stay with you one more night_

 _And I know I said it a million times_

 _But I'll only stay with you one more night_

* * *

Law knew what was happening. The accumulating rise of tension in the room was enough to have the hairs at the base of his neck to be standing on end. Law wasn't scared of his boyfriend though, he was used to the explosive anger that the other at times failed to keep in check, and was fully aware of the consequences that followed. The reason for his sudden flinching was actually due to the overly loud welcome he was receiving.

"Can we not tonight, Eustass-ya." The words were certainly not a question, nor were they a request. The surgeon was ordering the younger of the two to stop this game before it got too far, it always went too far when they got heated. And Law did not need that, he did not want that.

Law just wanted to go to bed, to sleep, to feel better.

* * *

 _Try to tell you "no" but my body keeps on telling you "yes"._

 _Try to tell you "stop", but your lips on me* got me so out of breath._

 _I'll be waking up in the morning, probably hating myself._

 _And I'll be waking up, feeling satisfied but guilty as hell._

* * *

Russet eyes widened at this statement for a second and soon narrowed dangerously. The redhead growled deep in his throat not because of the tone, and not even because Law was ordering him to be quiet, but because of how he was addressed.

"Eustass..." his own surname left a bitter taste in his mouth making his already formed frown more prominent, not that the other could see in his current position.

"Are you really going back to calling me by my last name, Law!" the red head roared his clenched fist rising and slamming down on the table before him, the Surgeon flinching once more and rising his head to finally meet a pair of shining silver eyes to cold russet.

For the second time that night Kid's anger wavered upon seeing the dark shadows both around and in his lovers eyes. Their fond memories being brought to the surface by the broken look Law was giving him.

* * *

 _Yeah, but baby there you go again, there you go again, making me love you._

 _(Making me love you)_

 _Yeah, I stopped using my head, using my head, let it all go._

 _(I let it all go)_

 _Got you stuck on my body, on my body, like a tattoo._

 _(Like a tattoo, yeah)_

 _And now I'm feeling stupid, feeling stupid, crawling back to you._

* * *

Kid felt the rising need to pull the raven from the chair and do as they have grown accustomed to, pull him close and claim him while being claimed himself. But tonight… Kid just couldn't anymore, he was sick and tired of the same routine, he was tired of their telling one another that it would not happen again. They always told each other this would be the last time they would tear at each other and that next time it would be out of love like it used to be.

"Kid-ya, don't." his name was but a whisper on the man's lips, but he heard it. Kid heard the tired tone in that voice, he heard the emptiness in it. There was the smallest hint of warmth, but it was near non existent.

* * *

 _So I cross my heart and I hope to die_

 _(Yeah)_

 _That I'll only stay with you one more night_

 _(Oh)_

 _And I know I said it a million times_

 _(Yeah)_

 _But I'll only stay with you one more night_

 _(Yeah)_

* * *

Law sighed a defeated breath. "What are we doing Kid-ya? This isn't at all how things were supposed to pan out." he mumbled in his low monotone voice, he sounded void of everything even to his own ears.

For a minute it seemed like Law wasn't going to receive an answer, and Law guessed he would be fine with that. The response only held the possible outcome of their future together after all. No big deal.

"What do you mean." Kid's voice was no longer angry, nut uncertain and wary it was something Law had rarely heard in the younger man. He had seen him at his best, and at his ultimate worst but never had he heard his voice so defeated, so void of that cocky attitude he had come to assume the other was never going to outgrow or outlive.

"You know what I mean." Law said pushing the chair next to him out for the taller man to sit if he wanted to.

"What have we been doing these past couple of months? All we do now is argue and fight and quite frankly I'm tired of it all." Law wasn't going to beat around the fucking bush. He honestly wanted the other man's opinion on all this, and he was going to have it.

* * *

 _Yeah, baby, give me one more night_

 _Yeah, baby, give me one more night (whoa, yeah)_

 _Yeah, baby, give me one more night (oh, yeah, yeah)_

* * *

Kid took a seat and lowered his gaze, he let the silence envelop them once more as he mulled over the thought. "What the fuck are you tryna tell me Law? Do you no longer…" he trailed off and sighed in order to hide the hitched tone in his voice, though Law had clearly heard it.

"You think I want that?" Law asked incredulous having to wince again as the present headache reminded him that it also craved attention, but the headache be damned, he had more important things- a more important person he needed to give his undivided attention to.

"God, no I don't… I don't know, Kid-ya" he stopped himself. "But we can't do this anymore. The late night fights, the screaming, the words..." Law had to pause for a minute. "the words get worse every time we go at it and I swear to that non existing entity you worship that last week you fractured one of my ribs you shitty bastard."

Kid smiled despite himself, "Don't say that like you didn't retaliate. You nearly gave me a concussion, aren't you supposed to be saving people not potentially harming their brains?"

Law allowed himself a small smirk, "As if anything can harm that underdeveloped organ inside that thick skull of yours."

"Woah haven't heard that one before." Kid muttered and sighed leaning back on the chair, his posture no longer on the defensive, no longer menacing. Yet Law could see that the tension in those large muscles was still very much present.

Law reached out to him then, his fingers lacing tentatively with those of the redheads.

* * *

 _Yeah, but baby there you go again, there you go again making me love you._

 _Yeah, I stopped using my head, using my head, let it all go._

 _Got you stuck on my body, on my body like a tattoo._

 _Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

* * *

Kid didn't know what he expected to happen from that small contact initiated by Law. The startling electricity that had once overcome him from fingertip to the very tips of his toes was... not there. And it seemed as the same could be said for Law, who looked mildly annoyed with the realization.

"Where did it all go wrong?" Kid found himself asking aloud.

Law shook his head and ran his free hand through the mop of dark hair. "We were always different Kid-ya, and despite all that we found common ground. But lately." Law raised and lowered his shoulders in a helpless shrug.

"We don't see each other anymore." Kid finished and pulled his hand away, those dark emotions in the back of his head threatening to resurface. "And when we do we can't stand being so close without wanting to kill one another."

* * *

 _So I cross my heart and I hope to die_

 _(Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh)_

 _That I'll only stay with you one more night_

 _(Oh oh oh oh oh oh)_

 _And I know I said it a million times_

 _(Oh, I said it a million times)_

 _But I'll only stay with you one more night_

 _(Yeah, baby give me one more night)_

* * *

Before either of them knew it, they were locked in a battle of dominance, lips mashing together in desperate bruising attempts to revive the spark of a few years ago. Hands tugged, pulled, and ripped at clothes that stood in the way of bare flesh.

Scratches and bruises, that was all the two left on the other. A sweet ache that settled on both of their bodies after the rounds that they went at each other, all of their physical needs were sated, but not what they both deeply desired.

There was no longer any love between the two; three years most of which had been great but as Law thought back to them, their relationship had begun the very same way.

The two had met Senior year at one of Killer's parties, a close friend of Kid's and a friend of Sachi. Law had been involuntarily dragged there, needless to say that the night had ended pretty well for the two.

Both waking up dazed and hungover naked in one of Killer's beds. From there on out the two made a deal to seek the other out when they wished. And from that, they supposed they grew close, at some point they believed they loved each other, but as their lives continued, problems arose and with those problems their smitten feelings shriveled up and died.

* * *

 _So I cross my heart and I hope to die (yeah, yeah)_

 _That I'll only stay with you one more night (yeah, yeah)_

 _And I know I said it a million times (yeah, yeah)_

 _But I'll only stay with you one more night (yeah, yeah)_

* * *

"One more night" Law breathed into the darkness of their bedroom. It was what they always promised each other, it what they had said back then too the first time they met up after Killer's party.

Law loved Kid, he would never deny that, but he was tired of waiting for the red haired man to come to the same conclusion. This time Law meant it when he said this night was his last. He would mean it this time and not look back.

 _I don't know, whatever._

* * *

 **Hey well that was interesting to say the least, anyway I was struggling with this one's initial idea, I didn't want it to be a LawLu because they would only get one more night. So after consulting with a friend, I decided this KidLaw actually sets up the stage for chapter three.**

 **Here's a hint: It will be a LawLu!**

 **Please let me know what you think? Thank you so very much for all of you who have read, favorited, followed, and reviewed you guys are SUPER!**

 **Till next time!~**


	3. I Won't Say I'm in Love (LawLu)

**Hey guys! I won't keep you, so here you go!**

 **Song / Movie: _I won't say I'm in love -_ Hercules**

 **Pairing: LawLu, mentioned KidLaw**

 **Summary: A year after Law had an unpleasant breakup, he begins to question the new surging feelings within his heart. Will he deny them? Or find it in himself to accept them.**

 **I own neither One Piece nor Anything Disney. Enjoy!~**

* * *

Trafalgar Law was furious, no he was actually more angry than that. He was livid, he was fuming, he was seething, infuriated and everything in between. But ultimately once he was done being angry, and had thrown his mental temper tantrum Law was not pleased with the conclusion he had come to and ultimately refused to accept. He had told this much to his roommates who had been more than happy to try and help him sort through his predicament, and only now was he realizing that telling them might not have been his smartest move.

 _"If there's a prize for rotten judgement."_

The words spilled from the surgeon's lips, startling his roommates out of their thoughts of what they had just learned. All of their undivided attention now fell on him. Sachi, Penguin and Bepo looked on with both determination and encouragement while Law pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes, desperately trying to think of something, anything he could do at this moment in time to sop his feelings from going in _that_ direction.

" _I guess I've already won that."_ he muttered dejectedly, his tone holding a distinct bitter tone the three had come to associate with a certain red haired man with in Law's past.

 _"No man is worth the aggravation."_ Law said his thoughts in the same direction as those of his friends.

 _"_ _That's ancient history._ _Been there, done that."_ Law ground out through clenched teeth, wishing the flood of images would stop, Law could still, to this day, see all the unpleasant business that had surrounded him and his past lover. Law didn't want to see that in his minds eye, much less be subjected to reliving the experience. But, his mental dam had cracked and from that small fracture, the entire thing collapsed bringing with it unwanted memories and feelings.

Over a year ago, Law was met with a life changing decision. He had entered a relationship that had been based off of physical need. Granted he eventually gained feelings for the other man, and possibly vise versa though neither of them acted too much on the development.

Law had truly cared for Kid, but Kid had been unable to reciprocate the sentiment. Law had given him time, the better part of three years to be exact. At times it did seem that the two could be in love, and Law had clung to that hope and in that time things had taken the opposite turn of direction. Their relationship got abusive from both sides, and in the end both he and Kid decided that parting ways would be for the best.

And now here Law was, a year later and discovering that he had come to fall for a certain goofy, selfish, meat obsessed, and highly annoying teenager who's favorite accessory was a straw hat.

 _"Who'd you think you're kiddin'?"_ Law heard off from his side, finally opening his eyes to glare at the audience he had unwittingly sought out and straight into the brown eyes of Sachi who smiled his most supporting grin at the surgeon.

 _"He's the Earth and Heaven to you,"_ Bepo added in his quiet rumble of a voice, the white haired man looking apologetic even as he voiced his opinion, muttering a 'sorry' when Law turned to glare at him.

 _'Try to keep it hidden'_ Law scolded himself, as he stared down at his impossibly poetic friend. "This is what I get when I tell you guys things." he grumbles exasperatedly while crossing his arms and huffing, though he had actually felt better once he had spilled his recent findings to his friends.

 _"Law*, we can see right through you."_ Penguin is the next to add as the trio stands before him, Sachi with his huge smile, Penguin with encouragement in his eyes, and Bepo with hope for Law.

All three of them decide to chime in then, encouraging Law. _"Law*, you can't conceal it._ _We know how you feel, and w_ _ho you're thinking of!"_

Laws eyes narrowed dangerously, though his friends knew that no real threat was sent their way, Law was not in the sort of mood that would have him going after any of them with ill intentions.

Instead, Law spoke slowly, his words sounding hollow and uncommitted even to himself. _"No chance. No way"_ he took a breath and steeled his resolve to deny this feeling, to nip it in the bud before he was forced to say what he was dreading _. '_ _I won't say it, no, no'_

"But Law, boss we've seen the way-" Penguin was cut off with the displeased frown now falling solely in his person. It was one thing facing those piercing gray eyes as a group, but a completely different situation when forced to be under their complete scrutiny _._

 _"You swoon, you sigh._ _Why deny it? Uh-oh"_ Sachi said realizing his mistake a little too late, his hands rising, palms faced up in defense.

"Geez if looks could kill Boss, you'd be the best assassin in the world, but you do tend to get this cute-" Bepo cut Sachi off by placing a hand over the redheads mouth, stopping him from further digging his grave.

"I'm sorry!" Bepo apologized to Sachi and then turned to Law, prepared to turn the steely gaze in his direction. "I am sorry, but you like him, Law."

Law's features softened, they almost always did when he was faced with the white haired man, Bepo was one of the few people he could ever be truly mad at, Sachi and Penguin on the other hand, it depended on a few (a lot) of factors.

" _It's too cliché."_ Law grumbled then, " _I won't say I'm."_ He stopped himself from saying _'in love'_ but the words hung in the air nonetheless. No one was able to miss the presence of their near existence, not Penguin, Sachi, nor Bepo, but before they could comment on it, Law continued to speak.

 _"I thought my heart had learned it's lesson..._ _It feels so good when you start out. My_ _head is screaming "Get a grip, Law*!_ _Unless you're dying to tear* your heart out!'"_ Law was really regretting bringing up the topic, and even more about asking their opinions on the matter, he should have stayed quiet, maybe even called up Cora-San, he always knew what to say.

 _"You keep on denying who_ _you are and how you're feeling"_ Penguin began with a smile, as he placed a hand on Law's shoulder. _"_ _Boss*, were not buying"_

 _"Law*, we saw you hit the ceiling._ _Face it like a grown-up._ _When you gonna own up that_ _you got* it bad?"_ Sachi added his two cents, even going as far as to rhyming. Which if you asked Law, was completely uncalled for, as if Law's situation wasn't enough without there having to be some sort of rhyme to it.

 _'No chance, no way,'_ the thought was immediate in Law's mind as he shook his head furiously looking at each of his roommates in turn. _"_ _I won't say it. No. No."_

"Aw, c'mon Boss. _Give up, give in."_

Penguin sighed and offered a reassuring squeeze to his shoulder. "It's as Sachi says, Law, how long has it been since you met Luffy? Three months right, and yes even though you constantly complain about him stopping by the clinic, you know you don't mind. Remember that time he thought it was your birthday so he brought you a cake to work?"

* * *

Law remembers the day in question, after his break up with Kid, Law had decided he would have a fresh start in everything he could; and as a result he and his roommates opened a small neighborhood clinic.

Now on that particular day it had been a lazy Saturday, on the day they kept the clinic open until five in case anyone needed to see a doctor. When in he came bursting through the door, straw hat firmly placed on his head that looked just as at home as the grin on his face.

"Torao!" The name that had long since irritated him, now left a warm fluttering feeling in his chest, however, Law forced himself to frown.

"What is it, Mugiwara-ya?" Gray eyes flicked up to look at him curiously before looking back down at the paperwork he was reviewing.

When Luffy didn't answer immediately, Law lifted his head and was met with a pouting teen, who not only looked dismayed but also sheepish and apologetic. "I, um, well I heard it was your birthday and I asked Sanji to help me make a cake. But on the way here I got hungry so I took a bite, and..." He trailed off displaying the empty box to Law guilt written plainly on his features.

For some reason, Law had found the act endearing and unbeknownst to himself, he had smiled reassuring Luffy that it was not his birthday, he had been joking with Penguin and Sachi earlier that week about getting the day off on Saturday because it was his birthday. Needless to say they knew it wasn't true.

* * *

 _"Check the grin you're in love~"_ Sachi called out from a safe distance fighting the urge to laugh in the event it would direct the doctors tentative hold on his wrath his way.

 _"This scene won't play,_ _I won't say I'm in love!"_ Law said that louder than he had meant to, immediately regretting it as three smiling faces knew he was only moments away from admitting the truth once he got exasperated enough. Just a few more buttons to push and Law would be able to realize his blatant denial of the situation was preparing him to accept his feelings for Luffy.

 _"You're doin' flips, read our lips:_ _You're in love."_ The three men grinned now, urging Law to follow the feeling he was so desperately fighting against.

 _"You're way off base."_ Law continued to fight their smiles. To fight the way his heart fluttered in his chest, the way he found himself wishing Luffy stopped by the clinic more. _'I won't say it'_ Law repeated in his mind.

 _"Get off my case!"_ Law growled raking his hands through his hair. There was no menace in his voice though, it sounded like every other denial he was saying, empty and filled with futile struggle against what he knew was right. He saw it, his friends saw it, and hell... Law's heart saw it. Yet his mind continued to repeat the mantra. ' _I won't say it.'_

Finally it was Bepo who squared his shoulders and marched the two steps over to his best friend, gently pulling his hands away from his hair and meeting those troubled gray eyes with his own steady blue ones. _"Law*, don't be proud._ _It's ok you're in love."_

Nodding, Law raised his head and smiled gratefully to his friends. He couldn't say it just yet, but they all knew he had come to terms with it. _'_ _At least out loud,_ _I won't say I'm in love._ Yet _.'_

* * *

It's been two months since then, and Law has not (entirely) regretted his decision. Luffy had smiled brilliantly on the day of his confession, and Luffy had been happy to learn that his affections were returned.

Now they were together in the very same couch Law had so fiercely denied his feelings towards Luff. Law's arms wrapped around the boy who held his heart, watching Luffy as he slept in Law's embrace, smiling in his sleep.

"I love you, Luffy-ya."

* * *

 **Omg I wanted to do this one for so long! And you know, Disney songs appear to be more of a musical Fic? Or is it just me?**

 **Anyway, this has got to be my favorite Disney song, definitely a top three, I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think? Yes, please?**

 **Changes made are minimal:**

 **Honey/hon/Girl/baby = Law/Boss**

 **cry = tear**

 **got, got, got = shortened to one got**

 **Until next time!~**


	4. I Just Can't Wait to be King (LawLu)

**Hey Guys!~**

 **So this particular fic is actually a request/trade fic for JustARatInACage, she's a wonderful ZoSan, LawLu writer, go check out her stuff!**

 **Song / Movie: I Just Can't Wait to be King - Lion King (First Movie)**

 **Pairing: LawLu**

 **Summary: To sum it all up. Luffy just can't wait to be King! And Law will do everything in his power to get him there. Takes place in a sort of ancient-ish era.**

 **Beta'd by: Emygrl99**

 **I own neither One Piece nor anything Disney. Enjoy!~**

* * *

 _"I'm gonna be a mighty King so enemies beware!"_ the boisterous boy of seven years cried out from where he was perched upon his favored seat in a tall tree his arms extended and fisted as he pumped them into the air to emphasize his determination.

Anyone could see that the young raven haired boy truly lived up to his name, Monkey D. Luffy. As his surname suggested, Luffy was not afraid to meet the challenges and limits placed onto their people by not just nature, but the Gods themselves. Luffy climbed where no one dared to, ran with the swiftest creatures, and almost soared with the eagles in the sky when he dashed from branch to branch many leagues above ground. Luffy even _dared_ to challenge those that were directly linked to their Gods, wrestling a kill away from the mighty Jaguars whenever he could even at this young age.

Luffy was truly the man who would reign over their people, there was no doubt about it in anyones mind. Meanwhile off to the side, Trafalgar Law, a young boy two years older than him always watched with a facade of unruffled boredom that cleverly masked his fascination with the other boy.

 _"Well I've never seen a king or beast with quite so little height*"_ Law teased, immediately feeling triumphant upon seeing the young raven puff his cheeks out in annoyance. Luffy, he had learned quickly was sensitive over his height, which meant that Law knew just what buttons to push to get the young raven flustered. Silent laughter filled Law in those moments as his gaze softened unknowingly.

Law was new to the tribe ruled by the Monkey clan, he was more or less a peace offering from a neighboring clan to support some sort of alliance.

Why was Law chosen above the rest of his clansmen? He had wondered that for a while until Cora-san provided Law an explanation through a mess of tears. The reason he was chosen was because of his oddly pigmented skin, a rare sight many believed was a sign of approval from the celestial rules of the land.

Each discolored patch on his body symbolized a past life where he had won the favor of the Gods, and where most people had one or two patches, Law's entire frame was decorated by them. From the moment he was born, Law had been respected and believed to carry the most favor of the Gods, he would become the next chief of their Clan. However, he was still young and an easy target, and the Monkey Clan was quickly proving to be a very formidable, ambitious adversary, one that was quickly gaining ground. Rather than risking a clash or siege from the bigger Clan, the Donquixotes established a truce with them in the form of Law. By sending their most heavenly chosen child, the Donquixotes assured that no threat to them would arise from the Monkeys.

And with that, here Law was, forced to endure his every waking moment with the loud prince.

With his cheeks still puffed, the younger boy was quick to smile that brilliant smile that could rival even the brightness of their sun deity, a smile that eclipsed everything around him and completely drew Law in.

 _"I'm gonna be the main event like no king was before. I'm brushin' up on lookin' down, I'm workin' on my ROAR!"_ Luffy had exclaimed that day, imitating the cry of a Jaguar the best he could, which in his young state ended up sounding like a strangled cry of a rearing animal, all screech and howl grating Law's ears.

 _"Thus far a rather uninspiring thing"_ Law stated rather unimpressed with the sound that has assaulted his ears, but he found himself believing the young boy, especially after the next sentence he exclaimed.

 _"Oh, I just can't wait to be KING!"_

Those eight simple words had resonated within Law, striking him in his very core. Widened golden gaze looked up sharply to the young Monkey who now dangled off of the tree, laughing without a care in the world.

In that moment, Law held no doubts that Luffy would truly be the king of their lands, the king of their clans. Within him, voices whispered excitedly, urging Law to believe in Luffy, to help him achieve his goal.

 _Be his supporter. Be his warrior, help him achieve this goal_ , they whispered. Law knew in that very moment, that Luffy was destined to be their King, and he was tasked with getting him there.

 _"Well you have a long way to go young Monkey-ya* if you think…"_ Law stopped short in his speech, forced to brace himself as the moron released the branch and decided that pouncing Law from that height would be a good idea for either of them.

"Monkey-ya!" Law sounded horrified as he crouched back into his legs and leapt upwards, arms extended to catch the laughing idiot as he quickly descended back into the earth.

Law had quickly learned that Luffy listened to no one, not his grandfather-who was the scariest old man anyone could ever have the misfortune of meeting- not his tribe brothers, and certainly not Law.

 _No one sayin do this... (now when I said that)_

 _No one sayin be there... (now what I meant was...)_

 _No one sayin stop that... (now what you don't realize...)_

 _No one sayin see here... (NOW SEE HERE!...)_

Because of this unwillingness to listen, the young boy often got into many odd and potentially dangerous situations, such as when his arm was nearly bitten clean off by a crocodile, his eyes almost torn out of his skull by angry winged demons, and then there was the time with the anaconda. Luffy had truly been a handful when he was younger, and Law had honestly thought that the boy would grow out of it, that it was just a phase he would outgrow and be able to think rationally, plan things through.

 _Free to run around all day (well that's definitely out of the...)_

 _Free to do it all my way!_

No such luck, Law learned over the years. Luffy was as free as the creatures that roamed the forests around them. He listened to his own ambitions and followed them wherever they led him. Luffy was selfish, hardheaded, stubborn, and a fool. Yet, Law had found himself infatuated with the boy. Attraction for him was hard to accept, but in time Law knew that he could never feel what he felt for Luffy for anyone else. Law liked Luffy.

Then Law learned that he loved Luffy.

Law was in love with Luffy and Luffy was oblivious to it. Law could not blame him though, it was Luffy's nature to overlook the obvious, or maybe Law just hid his feelings too well? That could have been it, but even if that had been the case though, why had Luffy overlooked Law as a candidate to be his blood warrior?

Law was hurt, that night had been Luffy's coming of age celebration and as a standard ritual in his clan, he had chosen two people to share his life of a warrior with. As the next person in line to take over the Clan, Luffy was given the task of finding two people he trusted his life with, and in their ritual of blood, they would forever be bonded as brothers not just in body, but in mind and soul. It was the ultimate connection any two living creatures could make under the eyes of the gods that did not involve marriage.

Luffy had naturally chosen Sabo and Ace, two tribe members he got on exceptionally well with. Law could have seen this outcome playing out, he knew actually that they would have been the young raven's first choice. But the fact that he hadn't even been asked to take up the position hurt Law, deeply.

Was he not good enough to be bonded to their future king in such a way? Why was he not good enough? Law had known Luffy was dense, but to the extent to simply look over him when he had made his choice, it cut through Law deeply. And his hurt lead him to drown his sorrows away during the celebration, flinching every time he heard the joyous laughter of his King.

 _Listen to yourself,_ Law thought spitefully. _Even now you still consider him your king. He would be no where without you. Sure he parades around with the Gods support, but he wasn't chosen by them. They didn't mark him with their favor. They marked you!_

These thoughts fueled the young warrior as he set his shoulders in determination and marched into the tent, stepping into laughter that was being shared by his chosen blood warriors. Fresh hurt stabbed Law's heart as he had once thought that he would be sharing that laughter with Luffy, that he would be by his side until the end of time.

" _I think it's time that you and I arranged a heart to heart_." Law began, his voice slurred, words low and obviously threatening enough to silence the laughter of the three men. "Tell me why Luffy," Law demanded, taking a step further into the tent. "Why didn't you-"

"Oi oi" That was the older of the trio who interrupted Law, and Luffy's first pick, making Ace the right hand man. The dark haired man stood, palms up and expression no longer laughing. " _Kings don't need to hear questions* from little outsiders* for a start_ , if you have business with him take it up with us."

Amber eyes narrowed as they came upon the two chosen warriors who now stood as a wall of flesh and muscle between himself and Luffy. "My business doesn't include you two. _I've_ known him longer than both of you, _I_ was his first friend. _I_ took care of him before _you_ even acknowledged his existence! _I LO_ -" Law stopped himself, biting his tongue on the last confession. He had enough rationality left in his mind to realize it was not his place to make such a remark, and he would rather not have an audience for the reveal of something he had held secret for so long.

Setting his lips in a tight line, Law took a deep breath, darkened amber eyes looking over the warriors who were now Luffy's brothers. "Fine. Luffy-ya if that's the way things are going to be now, that I have to talk to these two now before I can talk to you… _If this is where the monarchy is headed count me out._ " The words hurt Law more than he would ever admit. But looking at Luffy, sitting here, enjoying the company of people who weren't him, it hurt much more.

" _I'm out of this tribe*, out of the alliance*, don't think I'll* hang about_ " Law directed to the next leader of the tribe.

Seconds turned into minutes and Luffy said nothing, he just looked at Law with a furrowed expression until Law couldn't take it anymore. Hurt and anger welled within him, surging up to consume everything in his mind. He could physically feel the surge of emotion as it rushed up, no wait that was bile. With as much dignity as he could muster, Law strode out of the tent, distinctly hearing the dark haired man remark, _"That guy* is getting wildly out of wing."_

Law ignored the way no defense came from Luffy and he rushed into the woods where he promptly emptied out his stomach and that night's drinks.

 _'Oh I just can't wait to be KING!'_ the phrase Luffy had yelled out back in their youth came back to Law that night, the night Law had sworn to see Luffy to become the king of the lands, to reign over the other tribes. He had sworn by the Gods that favored him.

The next day, Law pretended as if his outburst had never happened, and though Ace had looked like he was ready to chew Law out, a single hand on his arm from Luffy had him closing his mouth.

 _Everybody look left,_

 _Everybody look right, everywhere you look I'm_

 _Standin' spot light_

Time seemed to slow down and speed up at the same time for Law after that point. He still loved Luffy, more and more each day, and every way Law turned he could see him, hear him, and fuck, then there were times when Law could actually feel him standing so close that Law could reach out and touch him if he wanted to. But no, he wasn't allowed that, Law was forced to watch from the sidelines as the world succumbed to the idiot with the sunny smile.

 _Let every creature go for broke and sing,_

 _Lets hear it on the herd and on the wing,_

 _It's gonna be King Luffy's* finest fling_

Five years, that was all the time it took for the once young boy to gather the scattered tribes under his rule. Luffy was truly king now, and Law was as Doflamingo had expected, the new Chief. Ascending to that title, earned Law freedom from the Monkey clan, something he would have thought himself elated with the notion, or at the very least content with not being around his source of torment any longer. A person he was forced to admire and love from afar.

Yet, Law found that the knowledge and physical separation between the two was actually infinitely worse. Law craved to at least be within the range of the young man's laughter, he was beyond his line of sight to be somewhere near him! The phantom presence never vanished though, and Law wasn't sure if that was a good sign or bad one.

 _Oh I just can't wait to be king!_

Law could hear that phrase at times, when there was no one around. He would hear the laughter and then find himself missing Luffy. The longing grew day by day, minute per minute, every fucking second it got worse.

 _Oh I just can't wait to be king!_

Law heard him clear as day, the boy from his youth, the teen that made him smile and occasionally laugh, and then there was the adult that held Law's heart firmly in his clutches. Law needed to hear him again, Law _needed_ to see Luffy again.

That single- minded resolve was what lead Law to leave his settlement, a scribbled message left behind to whoever checked his beddings in the morning. Law was running through the dense jungle, acutely aware that it was a three day journey to where Luffy and his empire had settled, but he didn't care. Law's need easily overpowered that rational thought and it was what drove him forward.

It had been night when he fled his encampment. dawn was settling in the horizon and that had been the moment that Law heard the low growl from behind. Jaguar.

Law's mind registered the sound distinctly and he turned to meet the creature, palm reaching down to where his hunting knife lay, only to come out empty handed. In his haste, Law had forgotten his fucking knife.

The creature crouched low, rough tongue grazing its maw as it circled Law. The situation was near laughable, something Law was very tempted to do. God's favorite creature was about to kill the favored man.

 _Gods are just as cruel as Kings_ , Law thought and he raised his chin ready to meet the judgement of his Gods. If he must be sacrificed by those above him, so be it. He would go back to them now that his mission had been accomplished.

 _Oh I just can't wait to be king!_

Luffy had become king, Law's destiny had been fulfilled, and with those final thoughts, the jaguar pounced.

* * *

 **This came out so much more different than I had originally thought, but I really like it, I hope you do too! If not let me know and I'll give it another shot.**

 **These are the most changes I have ever done to any song, I hope no one minds? They were as follows:**

 **height* = Hair**

 **Monkey-ya* = master**

 **questions* = advise**

 **outsiders* = hornbills**

 **don't think I'll* = I wouldn't**

 **this tribe* = service**

 **alliance* = Africa**

 **That guy* = This child**

 **Luffy's = Simba's**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has read, favorited, followed, and reviewed! I love you all!**


	5. Just the Way You Are (AceLaw)

**I could not stop myself. Sorry! But seriously as I said in my newest fic, "Strangers" the world needs more Ace x Law! So if you write one tell me please!**

 **Song / Movie: Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars**

 **Pairing: AceLaw**

 **Summary: Law has not had the easiest time with fate, has come to terms with that. He has only felt comfortable with a certain raven, one who can see him for him, and past his walls.**

 **Beta'd: Emygrl99**

 **I own neither One Piece nor anything written or sung by Bruno Mars. Enjoy!~**

* * *

 _Ohhhhh ohhhhhh ohhhhhh ohhhhhhh_

Law ducked his head as he walked through the restaurant. Honestly, Law didn't even want to go _outside_ , much less to a restaurant where there were always people milling about. And these people—no matter who they were or who they pretended to be—all held one thing in common; they held unjust judgement over anyone that did not meet their standards of beauty.

Trafalgar Law was far beyond the point that would land him on the "decent looking" side of the chart to all of these people, and he knew without a doubt that this day he was going to be exposed to their cold stares and their unwarranted comments. Law just hoped that they kept all of that hostility to themselves, it was easier to handle that way.

The whispers began the moment he stepped into the restaurant that Ace had insisted they visit for take out since Law did not do very well in crowded areas. Unable to deny his boyfriend the request, Law complied and had followed him to the restaurant. Though Law and Ace visited the Baratie often enough to know its owners—mostly since the restaurant had been Law's brother's starting point in his career as a chef—Law was still uncomfortable there. It wasn't the restaurant itself nor its staff that discouraged his visits, it was the people who went there. It seemed like Law always had to go through the same disheartening ordeal when stepping into populated places, be it restaurants, markets, malls, essentially anywhere that wasn't their apartment.

The subtle stares, the open gawking, the whispers, and the occasional sneers, Law should have been desensitized to all of these factors by now. After all, he's been forced to deal with it at a nearly daily basis for sixteen years now, but truth was, he wasn't immune to it, Law could not ignore them, they only served to be a painful reminder of the past.

Ultimately, Law endured them because Ace loved this place, and if Ace loved it, then it was Law's duty as his boyfriend to accompany him, and to make Ace smile that radiant and loving smile of his.

Law could feel how tense his muscles were, and he knew his shoulders were hunched, shielding him unconsciously. He couldn't help it this action. In fact, he was too focused on this act of self protection and on how he just wanted to vanish from all the judgement when it happened.

Law bumped into a solid warm object and instantly recoiled, his gray eyes snapping up to receive a glare, one he was not prepared to face. Law shied away from the look of utter disgust in the man's eyes and mumbled an apology.

He couldn't get away with it that easily, however. No, why would fate make it any easier for him now?

"Why don't you watch where you're going you fucking freak!" the man barked out and shoved at Law.

The words always hurt more than the stares, or the occasional shove. And that time it's no different. Law bit on his bottom lip and resisted the urge to bolt, all the while remaining silent. Law resisted the urge to turn and find Ace and plead to go home; Law realized the action was cowardly but he didn't care, Law just didn't want to deal with the stare aimed directly at him.

"What, now you're deaf too?" the man asked, striding into Law's personal space and glaring down at Law, however, due to their staggering height differences, the short angry man had to incline his head upwards to meet the downcast eyes of the surgeon. To anyone else, this would have been an amusing sight; a near five foot man confronting another of over six feet, but to Law it was a nightmare. The man's shorter stature in no way lessened the effect of the man's intimidating presence and it did nothing to lessen the effect of his words. Law cringed and opened his mouth, but he was unable to get the words to form fast enough before the man was coming at him again.

"Are you going to apologize or not, you fucking piece of-"

"HEY." A strong yet highly welcome voice intervened, the youngest of all three men wiggling between the Surgeon and the offender. "Yo dude, calm the fuck down, it's not like he pissed in your coffee or something, back off."

Law looked gratefully towards Ace, shrinking behind the younger raven and casting his eyes to the floor where he could focus all of his attention and try to ignore the stares and whispers once more.

"And who the fuck are you to step into this, you little shit? Tell that prick to man the fuck up and just admit that he is a stain on society. Why the hell is he in public anyway?"

Law shrunk further behind Ace, biting his lower lip, as the urge to run become more and more compelling. His hand shook despite his best efforts as he reached out tentatively, cautiously attempting to find reassurance in Ace's balled up fist.

Apparently the action didn't go unnoticed and the man laughed, a cruel, awful sound that twisted a dark ugly feeling within the surgeon. "Ahahaha, so that's why you're cutting in, huh? You're fucking him. I guess once the light's off he's just as good a fuck as any other loser."

Law's hand froze for a moment, the sound of his shaky breath the only thing to penetrate the silence that surrounded the three men. Law ducked his head even further between the valleys of his hunched shoulders, shame and insecurity heating his face and leaving him desperately wishing to be anywhere else, preferably a place where there were fewer people, or at the very least to just go home.

"Ac-" His words are cut off from an angrily trembling Ace.

"Shut that fucking mouth of yours." The words were spoken lowly, a near growl in their rumble. And Law didn't miss how utterly menacing they are. He had seen Ace angry plenty of times, but not to this extent. The anger that was rolling off of the younger man was new, and it was putting Law seriously on edge. Releasing a hesitant breath, Law willed the hand that had been reaching towards Ace to move again, but he never made it to his destination, instead his intended target was pulled away from his reach and Ace did what got them kicked out of the restaurant.

Ace's tightly clenched fist collided with the man's face at point blank range, and Law could actually hear the damage that was dealt to the man's facial structure. As a practiced doctor, Law could tell that some substantial damage was done. Presumably, at least two teeth have been dislodged from his jaw, the most suspectible being the ones in the upper front section, but Law wasn't a dentist so he wouldn't be able to say with an up most certainty. The dead give away was actually the unmistakeable sound of crunching cartilage. Such a resounding noise could only be the distressed sound of the man's nose being broken in several places.

A scream of pain confirmed Law's thoughts, that and the fact that the man was soon trying to stop the river of blood that was guzzling from his nose in an attempt of making a shallow pool at his knees. Law would say feet, but he could see that the man had actually staggered down to his knees while trembling in both anger, and hurt. His eyes were no longer on the pair before him, the man choose instead to yell for help, asking for an ambulance to be exact.

Law knew that no such thing would be called; the man was not hurt beyond a critical state, no matter how much he wanted to believe otherwise.

"Just put some ice on it you fucking baby." Ace growled and took Law's hand, the gesture, however, was gentle, a complete contrast to his demeanor a few seconds ago.

"Excuse me, gentlemen…" the manager of the establishment began, but they both knew what was coming. They wouldn't be permitted back into this _fine_ establishment anytime soon even with Sanji's help.

Ace was fuming the entire way to the door, his quick steps dragging Law behind him, only pausing once to open Law's door of the vehicle before climbing to the driver seat where he proceeded to the nearest takeout place and ordered his meal.

Law didn't raise his head again after the incident, choosing instead to keep his eyes trained to the floor that passed underneath his feet. And after that just finding the floor of Ace's car was captivating, but not as captivating as the wall of their living room; that verticle creation of plaster was too interesting to not stare at, and Law was doing his best to get in all the staring he could. He seemed entranced, almost as if that wall was the one thing that held all of his unanswered questions.

Law knew he wouldn't receive any answers though, but the one thing he did know for sure was that he had failed Ace. His boyfriend had only wanted a meal at the restaurant, a nice and filling meal that Law was sure Ace would love, but then Law just had to go and fuck it all up.

Why did he have to be such a useless waste of space?

* * *

"Law?" the name was a hushed cautioned whisper that brought gray eyes up questioningly to the dark haired man.

The younger of the two smiled reassuringly, "Hey, listen to me. What happened back there… you know it wasn't your fault, right?"

Gray eyes fell again, and this time they came upon the angry red swell that covered Aces fist. "I'll go get the ice pack." Law mumbled, completely dodging the question and his concerned boyfriend alike, easily bypassing Ace and slipping to the kitchen.

Ace sighed and sat on the living room couch. He hadn't tried to block Law's way because he hadn't wanted to corner him, but Ace knew that Law would come back. It was one of Law's many doctorly habits to treat all of Ace's injuries, which happened quite often. A moment later, the tanned doctor sat next to Ace, gingerly taking the hand that by then only ached slightly from the assault on the other man. Ace let him do as he saw fit, he had long since learned that no amount of "I'm fine"s would ever ease Law's mind until he saw the damage with his own eyes and treated them accordingly.

So Ace had let the silence embrace them for a few more moments. He watched as the tattooed hands nimbly worked over his swollen joints gently checking for pressure and movement where necessary.

"It doesn't hurt you know." Ace said suddenly, breaking the silence, his uninjured free hand reaching out slowly to gently tilt Law's head up to face him.

"Law, look at me, you are _not_ to blame." Ace said as fiercely as he could, though managing to keep his voice gentle at the same time.

Ace felt it then, the tremors that overtook Law's frame, gray eyes couding slightly as he tried to duck his head once more, but Ace held onto him, leaning in to press his forehead against Law's. "Shhh, it's okay. You're safe, Law, come back to me. God Law I'm so sorry this happened."

Metallic eyes closed and Law took a very audible gulp. "I should be the one apologizing, Ace-ya… I-I should have looked where I was going and I should have just ducked into the nearest booth, I..."

Anger returned to Ace as he saw how deeply the situation was hurting Law, and like hell he was going to let that asshole continue to hurt his lover even after they'd left. Ace sighed, and pulled away just far enough so that he could look at Law clearly. "It wasn't because of you, you know. That scumbag," It was a struggle for Ace to even acknowledge him as a human being, but he would manage, somehow. "is just a prick that gets off on belittling others, I bet he even gets off on calling his mom-"

"Ace-ya…" the word was but a mere whisper as those stunning gray eyes met his for a second, wavering under the intense fiery gaze of the younger raven. "Why do you put up with this Ace-ya, the whispers, the stares… why?" _Do you put up with me_? the silent words hung between them, and Ace found himself angry once again, but for a different reason.

The bastard got into Law's head with those last comments, like fucking hell would Ace let that stupid son of a bitch get in the way of Law's happiness. "I don't put up with anything, Law. People stare, they gossip, and it makes me furious that I can't do anything to stop that, but it only bothers me because it upsets _you_.

Those dumbasses don't know what they're talking about,they're just ignorant self absorbed dickwads, and try as we might, we can't escape them. But what we can do is choose to not listen to them. Law, you know they aren't right about you. Motherfuckers like that douche can be cruel, and I'm only sorry that I can't protect you from them." Ace confessed, his eyes reflecting the sorrow that had quickly consumed his raging anger.

"I'll never forgive them for this, especially not the kind of shit that fuckwad tried to pull, he had no right to say that, and I don't want you thinking that I _put up_ with you! Law, if I could, I would personally beat up every single person who even dared to look the wrong way in your direction, but Sabo says he can only bail me out of jail so many times." Ace tried to make the other man smile, but when it was clear that Law wasn't going to initiate the action, Ace smiled first. "Law I _want_ to be here, with you"

"But why, Ace-ya, look at me…"

"I am looking at you, and want to know what I see?" Ace asked finally pulling his numbed hand away from the cold fingers, gently setting the ice pack on the floor, his natural body heat flooding the cold area for a pleasant sensation.

 _Oh, your* eyes, your* eyes_

 _Make the stars look like they're not shinin'_

 _your* hair, your* hair_

 _Falls perfectly without you* trying_

Ace carded his warming hand through Law's soft mane of raven and stark white strands—the discoloration hadn't stopped at just his skin after all—his smile widening as Law's eyes widened slightly. God how he loved staring into those eyes, that shade of gray didn't exist anywhere else in Ace's mind, such a brilliant color belonged only to Law; a steel gray that was flecked with small hints of amber if you were lucky enough to look closely into them.

The slightest of nods was given by the surgeon, which only widened Ace's smile as he traced his thumb along Law's sideburn and brushing against his cheek, "Law, _you're* so beautiful, and I tell you* everyday,_ don't I?" Ace asked with a cheeky grin.

" _Yeah,_ but Ac-" he was cut off by his boyfriend's fingers upon his lips.

" _I know, I know. When I compliment you*, you* don't* believe me. And it's so* sad to think that you don't see what I see, but every time you* asks yourself*, "Do I look okay?" I say; When I see your face*, there's not a thing that I would change, 'cause_ Law _you're amazing. Just the way you are."_

Doubt flashed in those speckled gray eyes; all those years of ridicule, belittling, and self loathing having taken their toll on the surgeon. But Ace continued, maintaining the gentle pressure over his lover's lips, his own widening as he continued.

" _And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while, 'cause Law*, you're amazing. Just the way you are."_ Ace leaned in to emphasize his words with a kiss to the man's nose, the sweet gesture lasting just long enough to make the discolored cheeks brighten with a soft pink hue.

' _Yeah, mission Accomplished,'_ Ace thought triumphantly.

Knowing that he had Law's attention, Ace continued, voicing his innermost thoughts as best he could—he had never been quite good at that, really. " _Your* lips._ Law _your* lips, I could kiss them all day if you'd* let me. And your laugh_ * _... your* laugh, you* hate it* but I think it's so sexy. You're* so beautiful, and I tell you* everyday."_ Ace paused to gaze lovingly at his best friend, his boyfriend, his childhood love.

" _Oh you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change. If perfect's what you're searching for, Then just stay the same. So don't even bother wondering* if you look okay. Do you know what* I'll say?"_ Ace asked, his words gently challenging Law. Ace wanted the surgeon to see himself as Ace saw him, not as the vulnerable man that people so liked to tease and look down on. Law was a beautiful kind hearted man who had suffered too many hardships in his earlier childhood, he had had enough; Law didn't need further shit in his adulthood.

Law made to duck his head again, but Ace's gentle hand forbade him the movement, continuing to flash Law his trademark smile, gently running his thumb over his cheek again and again, caressing the soft flesh. "Law look at me, you know I would never say anything I don't mean, you're beautiful."

* * *

Law couldn't turn his eyes away from those fiery dark eyes that held him captive, and Law was highly inclined to believe Ace. Law _wanted_ to believe Ace, he so very much wanted to, but… Law had lived his life far too long believing that his patches of discolored flesh were bad. The only thing these patches that had been left behind by tragedy had achieved was secluding him further from the rest of the world.

These patches had made everyone cautious of him, had made him an outcast until the day a wonderful family had taken him in. Law would forever be thankful to the blonde man, but even he had been unable to fully break past all of Law's walls.

Only a certain dark haired teen that lived next to them had been able to burn all of Law's walls to a smoldering pile of ash. That pain in the ass teen had just looked over the fence one day, his narrowed eyes already glaring at a younger Law who had naturally flinched under the intense gaze.

Jumping from his swing, Law had scurried quickly into the house and had avoided the outside world like the plague it was for a full month until Cora-san was forced to personally drag him over to their neighbor's house to become acquainted with the boy and his family. It was there that Law met the three most annoying trio of siblings to ever exist.

One of them however, Law found, was much more tolerable than the other two. The boy's name was Ace, and the young man was an honest to god pain in the ass, very selfish, obnoxious, and overall a complete doofus. But, somehow Ace had managed to worm his way into Law's heart and convince him that he didn't hate Law's skin discoloration. Ace said he actually thought it was neat and made him unique. And after a while, with the most endearing blush on his freckled face, Ace confessed that he thought Law's patchwork made him beautiful. Needless to say, Law fell completely for him at that moment. And despite all of Ace's odd qualities,narcolepsy included, Law supposed that Ace was his dork in the end, and he wouldn't wish it any other way.

It was true, from that day forward, Ace had never once let Law forget that he thought Law was beautiful, even with the hideous scars left on most of his physique.

Around him, Ace's speech echoed in both of their ears, the soft words swirling around them gently.

 _When I see your face (face, face...)_

 _There's not a thing that I would change_

 _'Cause Law* you're amazing (amazing)_

 _Just the way you are (are)_

Law's eyes softened as he leaned into the gentle hand that cradled his face so tentatively as if he would break with a single touch. In truth, Law had often felt as such, vulnerable to the entire world, easily broken, no matter how much he tried to improve his tolerance towards the stares and comments. He just couldn't love the scars that Ace thought of beautiful were the one thing that had robbed him of his happiness.

Law had been a normal kid growing up in his small hometown of Flevance. He had a loving family, life was great with his mom, dad, and his little sister Lamie. Law was happy, they had all been happy. That is until tragedy struck, and Law's family was taken from him and left him with irreversible marks on his flesh. Why this had happened to the Trafalgars was a mystery to this day and since then, Law endured everything for his family's sake; they would have wanted him to continue on his path to being a surgeon, to being a doctor that could help others and to save families the way he had been unable to save his own.

It was easy to see why it hurt him so deeply that people thought so badly about his scars. The scars that had also decorated his mother, his father and his sister Lamie, and every time they looked down on him, they reminded him of his lost family. At first it had been the cruelty of small children, they were possibly the cruelest people in the world. So blunt and disgustedly honest, it had pissed Law off more than anything until suddenly, his spark just… spluttered and died, his anger hadn't been able to keep up with the disdain, the hate, the absolute look of abhorrence Law received. His spirit broke down, he had only been a boy of ten after all. And as it turned out, adults weren't any better than those that they raised.

By the time he had reached Cora-san and his family, it was nearly too late; Law had already lost his smile. And it remained lost until he met Ace.

 _And when you smile (smile, smile...)_

 _The whole world stops and stares for a while_

 _'Cause, Law*, you're amazing (amazing)_

 _Just the way you are (are)_

 _The way you are_

 _The way you are_

 _Law* , you're amazing (amazing)_

 _Just the way you are (are)_

Law had been sitting in the small swing in their backyard again, avoiding his shitty adoptive brother Sanji and his two other sisters Nami and Nojiko. He just wanted to be alone, and even though Law had been assured time and time again that he had nothing to fear from them, Law still held doubts. He had caught them looking at him plenty of times and somehow, the pity he saw there hurt more than the outright glares of others.

There was one boy who didn't look at him with either emotion though. True, Ace had at first glowered at him, but that had been because he had thought Law was breaking into Cora-san's back yard. After they had been introduced, Ace had apologized and the two slowly became friends. Ace was Law's only real friend really.

* * *

It was early in the morning, a Saturday if he remembered correctly. Law was older now, fourteen. And still he feared the awful look in stranger's eyes. Ace had come to realize that Law was not a coward as he initially thought, he was just self conscious and highly sensitive of the marks on his skin. Law was introverted, not weak.

Somehow, along the way Ace had made it his personal mission to make the older of them smile, at least once a day. So far he had been unsuccessful.

Ace joined him that morning, easily hopping over the fence that separated their yards. "Day 100, and still not even a muscle twitch, eh Trafalgar?" Ace mused, not bothering with 'good morning's, they had seen each other not even two hours ago. With Law having chronic insomnia, Ace had offered to stay up with him and star gaze. Law enjoyed those nights, they were peaceful and in the dark, no one could see his white patches.

Law shook his head, silent as usual.

Ace sighed and gave a huff as he bit his bottom lip. "Lu asked me the strangest question last night, you know."

Law raised a brow; the younger of the siblings was strange to begin with, so normally his asking a strange question was hardly out of the norm. Yet this was Ace saying that the question was weird, so how strange had it actually been? Law waited for Ace to continue.

Taking the silence as his cue to continue, Ace sighed and looked at Law directly in the eyes. Immediately the pair of gray eyes shifted to look away; Law couldn't handle direct eye contact for too long, even with Ace. "He asked why I was trying so hard to get you to smile, and of course Sabo decided to butt in, and both of them kept bugging me about until I told them to shut up and came out here with you to watch the stars. And, you know until then, I really hadn't thought much of it. So it got me wondering, why _do_ I want to see you smile, Trafalgar?"

 _When I see your face_

 _There's not a thing that I would change_

 _'Cause Law* you're amazing (amazing)_

 _Just the way you are (are)_

Law had wondered that himself countless times, had thought about the many reasons until his brain had gone numb and he had actually gotten an hour or two of sleep. "Beats me."

Ace hummed, surprised to have gotten a verbal reply from the sullen teen.

"Why do I want to see you smile? Why do I want to try my hardest to get the smallest bit of a smile? I was thinking about that last night as we gazed up into the stars. And then I turned and looked at you as you looked up, and I don't think you saw me looking, but that's when it hit me." Ace stated, slowly coming to stand before Law, going as far as to kneel before the boy in the swing, brushing back white and onyx tresses.

"As I watched you for those few seconds, I saw the reason of why I wanted to see you smile." Ace confessed, his cheeks gaining the same pink shade as a sunset sometimes had. It was this shade against the pale flesh of adorning freckles that made Law cautiously meet his gaze.

"I knew I would see the most…" Ace paused, faltering in his words as his face became redder, obviously it wasn't easy to say what he wanted to say. This was stirring both a mix of curiosity and anxiety in Law, unsure of what the outcome would be. He didn't sense any hostility from Ace; a mild frustration and flustered air for sure, but nothing threatening.

"What I want to say is… Law-I-think-a-smile-would-look-beautiful-on-your-face!" the younger teen blurted out, red as a tomato and rushing the sentence out, unable to look Law in the eyes gave Law time to blink and process the onslaught of words Ace had just thrown at him.

"There I said it!" Ace proclaimed, and that's when it hit Law: the younger boy was embarrassed.

Law had seen the younger boy express many things, but never this, and somehow that alone was enough for Law to let his stoic expression slip. A smile appeared and laughter soon followed.

Only after Law had regained his composure did the severity of the speech hit, Ace had _confessed_!

 _And when you smile_

 _The whole world stops and stares for a while_

 _'Cause, Law*, you're amazing_

 _Just the way you are_

* * *

Ace leaned in and gently pressed his lips against those of the surgeon's; a small chaste kiss that meant more than the world to both of them.

"You're perfect Law, don't let the world make you think otherwise. But first you must believe that you _are_ beautiful. Law, promise me we'll work on this together."

Law worried at his bottom lip, he had tried time and time again, and each time he had failed. He had let those ugly emotions get the best of him, had let them confine him to a cruel world where he could barely find any happiness. But with Ace, with the passionate fire of his best friend and boyfriend, Law could possibly find it in himself to accept his scars finally. That would be the first step, and with Ace, he knew he could believe it, some day.

" _Yeah,_ I promise, Ace-ya _."_

* * *

 **You guys have no idea how much I loved writing this one, Insecure Law is so hard to come by, and with Ace's fiery protective nature, well they make a great pairing! :D**

 **Changes to the song include:**

 _ ***all of "her/she/girl" = "you/Law"***_

 _ ***"it's so" was shortened to one time said***_

 _ ***every time she asks me = every time you ask yourself***_

 _ ***Law was added in front of most "you're"s***_

 _ ***She hates = you hate it***_

 _ ***asking if you = asking yourself***_

 **I should also mention that I wholeheartedly ship Corabelle, and fully support Rocinante being Sanji's biological father, hence Law's huge adoptive family.**

 **Thank you guys for all of your support, reads, favorites, follows and reviews you guys are the fucking best, and just so you know, there WILL be a continuation of last chapter's LawLu angst AU, feel free to thank Psychotriton for that :3! Till next time!~**


	6. Partners in Crime (ThatchxIzo)

**Hey Guys!~ So I have decided to join Rare Pair week, because damn it there are tons of ships that need to be loved too. But without further adieu, enjoy!~**

 **Song / Movie: Partners in Crime - Set it Off (Feat. Ash Costello)**

 **Pairing: ThatchIzo**

 **Theme/Focus: Partners**

 **Summary: Thatch and Izo are together in this through thick and thin.**

 **Warnings: Crime, Murder, Character Death(s).**

 **This particular Songfic goes out to a very good friend of mine who directed me to this song. Thank you Cinna! Who doesn't love a good outlaw love story?**

 **And a special shout out to my wonderful Beta: AmaranthPaiPai!**

 **I own nothing in regards to One Piece or the Lyrics used.**

* * *

 _You'll never take us alive  
We swore that death will do us part_

The world knew them as Beauty and the Beast but to each other he was Thatch and she was Izo.

 _They'll call our crimes a work of art  
You'll never take us alive_

Thatch was known as the Beast. However, his appearance was not the reason behind his gained epithet. But rather his gruesome methods of dealing with the cops. Thatch was a master swordsman; he was a sword for hire, an Assassin that guaranteed his client's target would be eliminated by sunrise unless otherwise specified. And though his skills were not a recommended method of self defense against bullets and the likes, Thatch made it work. He had knives concealed throughout his person, and two swords strapped to his back. He could disarm an enemy in a matter of seconds and that was when he would strike.

Thatch _shredded_ his opponents, and when he was in one of his most eccentric moods he was prone to go above and beyond his norms and leave an unrecognizable mess behind. And to add to the mayhem of his dubbed name, Thatch was not above restraining himself against civilians, particularly those that spoke negatively about his love.

 _We'll live like spoiled royalty, lovers and partners_

Izo had come to love two things in her short life. The first and foremost, was the only person she valued above her own life. And the second were the treasures of the world, mainly precious jewels and metals.

Izo was undeniably beautiful, truly deserving of the title she was given. She was beautiful beyond measure, but that in no way dampered her need to cause trouble. Izo admitted she loved the finer things in life.

She had been brought up as the only daughter of a powerful man in the underworld, and the man loved to spoil his little girl. He gave her everything she asked for, the best clothes, finest jewelry, most wonderful shoes and weaponry.

Izo was just as deadly as she was beautiful. From an early age of three, as soon as she could walk and talk properly she was taught the way of swords, and later guns. By age five she was able to tear apart and reconstruct machine guns blindfolded.

She had an affinity for them, playing with guns, and very soon held the title of marksman; she being able to shoot a target despite the considerable distance.

 _Partners in crime_

Izo loved the riches and Thatch loved the thrill that accompanied their heists.

 _Partners in crime_

To the public, it was unknown exactly when the two came to work as one. However, everyone was aware of the moment when their notoriety went viral. It wasn't until the two partners were captured on film that their story began to be told on every screen across the world.

 _This, the tale of reckless love, living a life of crime on the run,_

Fate brought them together one night when Izo had the barrel of a gun pointed between a man's eyes. The lad owed her father money, you see; and to owe the man his dues meant that he in turn was in debt to Izo.

"Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't just plant this bullet into your head." Izo hummed, her index finger curling further on the trigger.

"Because then I won't get paid." A voice spoke up behind her and Izo brandished a second pistol to point it at the man that now occupied the room, her golden eyes narrowing as she switched her attention between the two men.

"I see I forgot one, no matter. You shoulda taken the day off dear, it seems that your employer has nothing left to his name, not even his own life." Izo smirked, and to her slight surprise, so did the newcomer.

"Is that so? Anyway, his life does not pertain solely to you, dollface. You see, his life belongs _a bit more_ to me, so I'm gonna have to ask you to step aside and let me do my job." The man rumbled as he took a step forward in her direction.

Izo _tsked_ and shot off a warning bullet that would have normally amputated a toe or two on someone that wasn't as light on his feet as her visitor.

"O'ho, you're quite a shot, little lady. So it was you who took out the other trash, eh? And though I admire the work, I can't say I'm pleased about it. Taking out the personnel is 20% of my pay, so you've already cost me quite a penny. Now, whaddya say, hand the soiled man over and I won't add ya to the casualties." The way he spoke immediately changed Izo's opinion of him. She had thought him as nothing more than another bodyguard hired to save the kingpin from threats like herself. But it seemed that this man was not a guard, but rather another person after his head.

Izo laughed. "You must have me mistaken with someone else, _sir._ I did not travel all the way out here to be denied what is mine, you cannot just waltz in here and claim him as yours when I clearly got to him first. It's first-come first-serve here, darling." Izo said, and in the same moment pulled the trigger.

 _I brush to a gun to paint these states green and red,  
_

" _Everybody freeze, nobody move!"_ Every time that command was given, all eyes fell on them. Thatch and Izo needed no further introductions when the two strode to the middle of the room, guns raised and poised at the patrons in the luxurious bank.

Most people gasped and some even yelped in surprise as Izo's gun fired a projectile at a glowering security guard. _"_ And don't you press that button now, we don't need any unwanted guests showing up. Things would only get unpleasant here."

The guard said nothing, though his eyes projected his anger well enough. Izo made sure to keep an eye on him as she directed him to the corner of the room, instructing a citizen to bind his hands with a ziptie she provided.

" _Put the money in the bag or we will shoot. Empty out the vault and me and my doll will be on our way,"_ Thatch advised signaling the woman behind the counter to do as he said while Izo held the barrel of her bedazzled gun against the temple of an elderly woman for leverage.

 _Our paper faces flood the streets,_

With notoriety, there came infamy. And a rather hefty price with that same infamy. Any information that could be given about the two lovers was paid in gold. So it was no surprise when some of her own people and those against her father turned from Izo.

It was tedious to say the least, but in the end loyalty only mattered from one person. And that was Thatch.

"Tch, you'd think they would get their facts straight on this." Izo grumbled as she glared holes into the wanted poster. "I am most certainly not a male."

"Don't pay attention to that buttercup, what do those shitheads know anyway?" Thatch soothed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest.

"They let their ignorance blind them, but you have to admit, the shot they got of you is really something." Thatch murmured looking over the picture she held between her hands.

Izo snickered, "I suppose you're right. Though I have to admit, I like your poster better."

Thatch joined in on her laughter as he spun her around and caught her lips in a kiss. Quieting her protests and quelling her annoyance with the world. That world no longer existed to them, for they were together and that was more than either of them could ask for.

 _And if the heat comes close enough to burn then we'll play with fire_

Thatch and Izo knew what they had signed up for when they started to operate outside of the shadows. Her knowledge and his experience had taught them long ago that remaining behind the scenes and conducting their activities under the cover of night and silence would guarantee a longer reign.

But they discarded all they knew, every rule that has been set before them since they could remember and they were free.

 _'cause...  
_

Together they did what they wanted, the pillaged and roamed, they killed and they stole. Nothing could stop the lovers.

 _You'll never take us alive_

 _We swore that death will do us part_

From East Blue, to North Blue, South and West. Thatch and Izo were unstoppable, and as time went, the Marines grew more and more frustrated. They were forced to ally with other criminals, bringing in the clowns and the vigilantes to their cause, because neither Beauty nor the Beast knew the meaning of restraint.

Criminals were not exempt from their hits, drug houses and cartel warehouses were assaulted just as often as government owned facilities and citizen ran establishments.

 _They'll call our crimes a work of art_

In and out they went, raiding one place to the next. This was their norm for the better part of a year, making new enemies and infuriating the ones they had gained. Battles were lost and won, it wasn't often, but at times they did fall back, either because they were outnumbered or outgunned. Twice or thrice they were wounded, a bullet to the shoulder and a knife to the gut, not counting a few broken bones for Thatch who decided he would brawl with someone who brandished studded brass knuckles.

 _You'll never take us alive  
We'll live like spoiled royalty, lovers and partners  
_

Within that year however, the two came to collect a variety of treasures and all sorts of currency, from those used in the Red Line, to those in New World. Precious artifacts were taken and either discarded, sold, or kept at their discretion.

 _Partners in crime  
_

They stole money, drugs, cloths, works of art, furniture, cars; you name it. If it caught either of their fancy, you could bet your ass that it would be in their posession by the end of the day. In fact, not even people were spared from their crime spree. For one day, they even stole a human being.

Thatch and Izo kidnapped a minister.

 _Partners in crime  
_

"Do you, Thatch, take this beautiful woman, Izo; to be your lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times," the man gulped staring nervously at the bejeweled gun that was pointed at him. "A-and woe, for richer or poor keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

Thatch took his eyes off of the minister for a second to meet Izo's warm, honey gold eyes saying the traditional words. "I do."

The priest cleared his throat anxiously and with the same shaky breath asked the same of Izo. "And do you, Izo, take Thatch to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health. To love, honor, and cherish, in good times and woe, for richer or poor, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

Izo's smile was brilliant as she said her part. "I do."

"Then, by the authority vested in me by the Grand Line Order, I now pronounce you man and wife…" he hesitated for a single moment before continuing. "And what the gods hath joined together, let no man nor woman put asunder."

The bride and groom shared their first kiss as a married couple the next moment, and pulled the trigger together as one.

 _(Oh, just try and catch us!)  
_

That same night Izo and Thatch celebrated in the grandest way, they held up the Baratie, a renowned restaurant famous for its delicious food. They ate like royalty, they drank the finest wines and even made it out with take-out before the sirens arrived. After that, the duo carried their madness to the shopping centers, hitting one establishment after another.

By the break of dawn, Izo had acquired a few dozen shoes, had her arms adorned with the most beautiful of gems and accessories, while they both wore clothes made for the finest of the city.

"Have you heard my love," Izo asked as she rested her head against Thatch's chest, listening closely to the steady beat of her beloved's heart. "Pink diamonds are set to be delivered to Dressrosa in the following weeks."

"Pink diamonds." Thatch echoed and Izo didn't need to look up to see the smirk that lifted the corner of his curvy lips.

"So say those within father's circle, it seems that the kingpin there has a taste for anything pink, and as such, is having these little delicacies imported from Amazon Lily specially for himself." Izo informed.

"And I take it this man isn't keen on sharing?" Thatch mused. To which Izo snorted. "Not one bit, but who said he had a choice?"

 _Here we find our omnipotent outlaws fall behind the grind tonight,  
Left unaware that the lone store owner won't go down without a fight._

And just as Rakuyou had said, the diamonds were in fact delivered to the city of Dressrosa.

The operation was performed under the protective veil of the night. Seemingly inconspicuous men passed along a small book sized box as the pair trailed them a few steps behind.

It wasn't until the last owner of the box reached a lone run down store that they struck. Izo and Thatch stepped into the abandoned store and scanned their surroundings. It seemed that their friend could scurry faster than he had lead on. But they simply shrugged that off and strode further into the store.

Little did they know, the entire thing was a set up.

It wasn't until they were halfway into the store when it happened. A loud wail pierced their ears just as a flash bomb went off and illuminated the store in its disorienting flashes of silver and black.

Instinctively, Thatch and Izo rose their hands to shield their eyes, losing their window of opportunity to disable one of the two inconveniences.

A heartbeat later, the first shot rang loud as a snake's sullen hiss, and narrowly missed Thatch's eye, grazing his ear in its wake.

Thatch cursed as he and Izo ducked to the ground, taking cover behind some dust coated crates. A second shot was fired and struck one of the wooden crates, though Thatch felt this one rather than heard it due to the constant wailing in the background.

Izo responded with a fire of her own, glancing over their shelter and firing a few shots before slinking back with a frown. Thatch followed suit, though his target was the blaring speaker hidden in the room. It took a few miss and hits, but soon enough, the siren was gone.

' _Where we gonna go?'_ The thought ran through Thatch's mind as he looked over the crate and at their surroundings, or what he could see of them in between the intervals of black and white.

' _He's got us pinned!'_ Thatch hated to admit it, but it was true. They had been lured there for a reason and he was not liking the turn of events. But no matter, all they had to do was off the guy and escape into the night.

It seemed Izo's mind was along the same lines, for in the next moment, she smiled and the dull thumping sound of the dropping of a sack was heard. Or rather not a sack, but a body.

Izo reloaded her gun and after a second stood, the barrel of her bejeweled pistol circled the room, and once deeming it safe, she stalked over to the dead cronie. Thatch followed with the same caution as he whistled lowly. "Bullseye, babe."

Izo grinned in triumph, and overlooked the growing puddle at their feet oozing out from between the man's eyes in favor of the box. "Shall we see what's behind curtain number one?"

Thatch looked on with both amusement and worry as Izo took a hold of the small box and flipped the lid open only to frown. "Well, that isn't a pink diamond."

"No." He agreed and jerked his head to the dead man. " _Baby, I'm a little scared,_ this has trap written all over it."

Izo bit her lip as she looked over the single Joker playing card inside the box. "We were played like fools, that's a given, but the night is still young. _Now, don't you quit,_ darling, let's make up for lost time." Izo encouraged and lead them out of the small store, still on alert for any of the dead man's friends lurking about in the cover of the strobing lights.

The duo stepped outside in a matter of minutes and paused. An unsettling feeling washed over both Thatch and Izo and the pair knew deep in their souls that there was something amiss.

"Thatch…" Izo warned as a very distinct melody trickled into the night air.

"Yeah, _He's sounded the alarm, I hear the sirens closing in."_ Thatch confirmed, while checking his revolver and the remaining bullets, cursing at his understocked arsenal.

"They're closing in, but we still have a head start on them." Izo added and adjusted her holster. Thatch didn't argue and nodded solemnly.

 _Our paper faces flood the streets,  
And if the heat comes close enough to burn then we're burning this place to the ground 'cause...  
_

However, before they could get far, the sound of rustling had the lovers raising their weapons once more as they came to realize one thing.

They had become surrounded.

 _You'll never take us alive_

"Fuffuffuffuffu, did you honestly think that I would allow a couple of second rate thieves steal so freely from me?" A deep voice asked as a tall man stepped out of the shadows, his face pulled up in an unsettling grin.

"You say that like it's hard to steal from you." Thatch countered as he counted the guys that were between them and escape. Ten. They've definitely had worse odds than that.

"How many times have we raided your Smile dumps and made off with a month's profit?" He continued to smile in that aloof manner of his while his hand seemingly waved at the blonde dismissively.

However, hidden in that innocent wave, Thatch fired two of the eight throwing knives that he carried out that night and managed to down two lackeys before the third knife was shot out of his hand.

The pink feathered man cackled and leveled the gun at Thatch's chest. "And I see the fabled rumors are true, Beast. So what about you? Are you just a pretty face?"

Izo, who had been quiet for the most part, only smiled.

 _We swore that death will do us part  
_

"I'll let you be the judge of that. One." A shot rang out. "Two." Two more men joined the body count for the night. "Three." Izo counted as her bullet collided with one another man had just fired at Thatch and sent it off course.

"Don't get too cocky now," He warned, and Izo counted the remaining men.

"Six left, how many more knives do you have?" She asked under her breath instead.

"Five. Plus a full barrel, and the twins." Thatch answered, "And you?"

"Three more bullets." Izo answered and cocked her head gauging the sound of the sirens. "I say we have about two minutes as well."

 _They'll call our crimes a work of art  
You'll never take us alive  
_

"Better make this quick then." Thatch grinned and handed her his loaded gun and charged at the man before him, letting Izo handle the remaining five henchmen.

"Fuffuffuffuffu. Don't think it'll be that easy!" The man roared and rose his gun. Thatch was prepared when one of the man's followers standing close to him moved in to protect his boss, but that had little effect. Thatch cut him down without too much effort, leaving only five left in their way.

Izo too, was quick to dispose of one of the remaining men, gunfire came at her and a few nicked at her clothing and exposed skin. But not even they were as skilled as she was with firearms. Weaving and shooting, Izo was able to disarm the men as well as shoot at their vitals. She went in with 11 bullets, shot five and gained a half loaded gun along with a wounded shoulder.

Her bullet count was back up to 10.

 _We'll live like spoiled royalty, lovers and partners,_

Izo rounded to see how Thatch was fairing and was met with a sight she had not thought she would see. Thatch was actually being pushed back by the taller man. Izo frowned as she rose one of the confiscated guns and aimed for his head.

 _Partners in crime_

Izo fired one bullet and to her utter disbelief, it never made it to her target, instead it was split in half and dropped down to the floor, useless.

 _Partners in crime  
_

The man laughed just as Izo fired another set of rounds and Thatch swung his blade only to be met with an opposing force that sent a shower of sparks onto him.

And that was when Izo saw them. The strings that were interlaced around the man.

It seemed that the rumors about this odd individual were true as well; he did use reinforced piano strings.

Izo was down to six bullets, and bleeding profusely from the wound of her shoulder. Thatch was unable to reach his target, his twin blades unable to cut faster than the other's strings could be produced. And the five knives he had left had long ago been slapped away.

Things were looking rather grim, their time was up.

 _([inaudible] police department. Come out with your hands up, we have the place surrounded. Put your weapons down, put your weapons down!_

It was only then that the kingpin moved back and joined the line of patrol cars that Izo knew without a doubt that he had been the mastermind behind the operation.

Thatch joined her and only then did Izo see how badly he had fared against the Shichibukai. He had some pretty deep cuts, some of them even exposing bones and muscles alike.

Izo's anger flared, just as his did when he saw the wounded shoulder she sported. Thatch bent down to pick up a discarded gun, cocked it and fired.

 _Ready, men? Aim... Fire!)_

The skies are black with lead-filled rain,  
A morbid painting on display,

Six bullets in her hands, and five max in his. Eleven bullets were fired at the blockade of men in white and blue. Eleven men were painted in red that night, and lost their lives to the Beauty and the Beast.

 _This is the night the young love died,_

But they did not go out alone. Thatch and Izo were no match against an assault like that, not when they had been wounded and tired. Not when they had severely underestimated their heist and brought the barest of ammunition.

Their reign ended that night.

Two bodies landed amongst the hail of discarded bullet shells and crimson sea.

Green eyes met fading gold one last time. Izo's arm felt like lead as she tried to raise it, it seemed like such an impossible task. And yet, she pushed through, red painted fingers grazed the back of his hand for a second.

"...love..y." His eyes faded.

A single tear rolled down to her temple as her gaze too was consumed by darkness, and she faded from the world.

 _Buried at each others side,  
_

A few strings were pulled and threats were made, but Izo's family was able to retrieve not only her body but Thatch's as well. There was no public memorial, they kept it a private affair.

And when they were buried, they were placed in the same casket. Their tombstone marked with nothing more than two lovers embracing upon the tombstone.

 _You never took us alive  
We swore that death would do us part  
_

Their reign ended as abruptly as it had started. And true to their vows, they were together for all eternity; in life, as well as in death.

 _So now we haunt you in the dark,  
You never took us alive,  
We live as ghosts among these streets,  
Lovers and partners  
Partners in crime  
Partners in crime  
Partners in crime_

* * *

 **Guys this one was so much fun to write and ugh this song, the lyrics are amazing, vocals I'm iffy on, but you can decide that on your own.**

 **Anyway, day two will be up tomorrow for another song fic!**

 **Please let me know what you think? Thank you for reading and see you tomorrow!~**


	7. Underneath (AcexNami)

**Hey Guys!~ So day two of Rarepairs week, and well here we go!**

 **Song / Movie: Underneath - Adam Lambert**

 **Pairing: AcexNami**

 **Theme/Focus: Storm**

 **Summary: Ace has a weakness, one that he is ashamed to admit to, even to Nami. He's always put up a brave front, and in a city that rarely gets any severe weather changes, he had been safe. But one night away from home could shatter his security and leave him more vulnerable than he's comfortable with.**

 **Beta'd by the wonderful Amaranthpaipai, thank you!~**

 **I own nothing and am entirely dedicating this particular entry to Daydreamfox. So go thank her for introducing us to this wonderful pair! Enjoy!~**

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything? It can get cold up there." Nami warned as she set the last of her suit cases in the trunk of their car, giving Ace one last chance to sneak anything else in.

"Well, let's see... I have three sets of clothes for the weekend, ten canvases, a sketchbook, my art junk, a healthy amount of bug spray, ten weeks worth of protein bars, my narcolepsy medicine, my socks, shoes, underwear, hat… Ah!" Ace snapped his fingers and caught Nami in an embrace from behind, making her yelp in surprise as he kissed her freckled cheek.

"And the best girlfriend in the world." Ace laughed as her cheeks caught a pink tint and she huffed.

"You're such a sap." Nami said with a flustered blush which still burned bright. Ace could only laugh as he whisked the petite redhead into his arms and spun her around.

"But, am I wrong?" he asked with a face splitting grin.

"I guess not," Nami laughed along with him, wrapping her arms around his neck and stealing a kiss from the raven haired man. "I'll give you that one."

"Then we're all set! Would you like to drive, or should I?" Ace asked setting her down, only to receive a cuff to his head.

"I'm driving of course, because one: this is my car, and two: Law said no driving until you get used to the new dosage that he gave you. So get your ass on the shotgun seat, Portgas."

Ace laughed and stole one last kiss from the tip of her nose, "Have I ever told you how much I love you?" He asked and slipped away just as her cheeks got heated again.

"Maybe once or twice." Nami called after him and couldn't help the smile that overcame her features.

She and Ace were about to celebrate their fifth anniversary, and she had finally managed to convince Bellemere to lend them the cabin for the weekend. So that was where the two lovers were headed, a small retreat away from the city and the stress it caused.

A brisk gust of wind swept past Nami as she climbed into the car, and she hummed softly. Looked like they would be in for a small drizzle, but that was fine, she was sure the woods would look beautiful during and after the rain.

Strapping herself in, Nami started the car and the trip to the cabin commenced.

* * *

The ride there wasn't so long, maybe a few hours or so depending on the traffic and obviously, thanks to her timing. They were able to make it without a single hitch.

"And here we are!" Nami announced cutting off the engine and undoing her seatbelt.

Next to her, Ace whistled lowly in appreciation. "Woah, it looks just like something out of a postcard. I thought your folks didn't use it often?"

"They really don't, Cora uses it mostly during bass season, but that passed months ago... One of them must've come up here and cleaned it up a bit. Remind me to hunt them down and thank them." Nami said with a gleam in her eyes that made Ace wonder what exactly she was planning for the pair.

But before he could think further on it, Nami slipped out of the car with instructions for him to start unloading while she opened up the cabin and let it air out.

Moments later, Ace was standing inside the cozy little house, admiring the furniture and overall atmosphere of the place.

"So you used to spend every summer here?" Ace asked quietly as Nami came to stand next to him.

"Mhm." She hummed in response as she wrapped his arm around her shoulders and snuggled into his side. "Every summer since we were adopted. It was a home away from home. Nojiko, Law, and I looked forward to this every year, even if one of us acted like a grump."

Ace laughed and bent down to kiss the crown on her head. "You had a reputation to uphold as the family grump, who could blame you?" He teased and ran away when Nami spun to face him.

The afternoon was followed by laughter and calm alike, Nami and Ace went on a pleasant hike around the woods and had a picnic by a quiet stream. And on their way back, they even saw a large buck that all but glared at them before trotting away and disappearing into the woods.

Later on, they decided that going for a swim in the lake would be a good idea; and we won't point any fingers, but one of them broke the branch that held the tire swing.

It wasn't until the cyan sky overhead became overcast and the air cooled down that Nami frowned.

"Looks like we're in for worse weather than I had thought, these clouds look pretty dark." She noted, pointing at the sky and wrapping the towel closer to her.

Ace looked up and tilted his head to the side, the clouds looked nearly the same to him. He might have an eye for detail when it came to his work, but weather was not as easy for him to determine as it was for Nami. She was rarely–if ever–wrong though, so he nodded and got out of the water, pulled Nami into his arms, and headed back into the cabin.

"You don't mind if I take the first shower, do you babe? Or do you want to come with me?" Nami asked as soon as they stepped onto the porch, shooting Ace a sly smile.

"As tempting as the offer is." Ace pouted and kissed her forehead, "I think you should go ahead. I'll start a fire to keep the house warm."

Nami mirrored his pout, but silently acknowledged that it would indeed be getting colder with the storm that was fast approaching and let the subject go. "I won't take long. And please, try not to burn the house down."

"You got it, gorgeous." Ace winked and held the door open for his love, stepping in after her.

Pretty soon, the muffled sound of running water faded into the background as Ace stocked the fireplace and in a matter of seconds and brought the fire to life. He had always been good at that, lighting a fire. In fact, he was able to make a fire out of nearly anything, so long as there was a way to light something, he could do it. And for that, he was labeled as a pyro growing up. But hey, the skill came in handy when needed.

With the fire warming up the small one story house, Ace discarded the towel he was wrapped in, draping it over the back of a chair for it to dry while he looked at a wooden picture frame. He had to smile. How could he not when he was looking at a younger version of his girlfriend having a great time?

She couldn't be more than fifteen in the picture. Beside her stood her two siblings, Nojiko on her right and Law on her left, the younger boy looked as disgruntled as ever, while Nojiko smiled as widely as her sister. In the background their dad, Rocinante, was enveloping them all in a hug while looking past the camera to–Ace could only guess– Bellemere.

Ace was so immersed in looking over the family pictures that at first, he failed to distinguish the difference between the muffled shower water and the subtle pitter patter of the rain, nor did he notice the telltale sign of a rumbling storm. It wasn't until the clap assaulted his hearing and the blinding light illuminated the room that he noticed it.

Ace straightened up so quickly that his spine cracked from the tension. The picture frame he had been holding moments ago forgotten and dropped onto the wooden floor, where the glass shattered and spilled.

 _Strip away the flesh and bone_

 _Look beyond the lies you've known_

A second clap of thunder shook the house and Ace's heart skipped a beat in his chest. His breath caught in his constricting throat and refused to feed his brain oxygen for a precious moment before he was able to grasp what was happening.

A storm. His brain supplied sluggishly and Ace fought to move from his spot.

 _Everybody wants to talk about a freak_

 _No one wants to dig that deep_

 _Let me take you underneath_

* * *

Nami shut off the water and sighed contentedly as she wringed out her hair and reached for a fresh towel to wrap herself in. The rain was falling steadily now, coming in faster as the seconds ticked by, and by the sound of it, they had just made it to shelter in time.

The beautiful redhead smiled rather proudly to herself as she stepped out onto the mat and counted the seconds between the strikes of thunder to determine how far away the storm was.

Three miles.

It was pretty close, too close for comfort, but Nami supposed there was nothing they could do but wait it out. So she continued to finish off, doing her best to speed up her normal process in order to hand the shower over to Ace. The poor guy must still be soaked, even if he had been standing in front of the fire he built.

Quickly placing on her sleepwear, Nami left the steaming bathroom and smiled when she was met with the warm air trapped in the small cabin. Leave it to Ace to get the place so warm in a matter of minutes.

"Ace, the bathroom's all ready for you." Nami said as she walked over to the kitchen and peeked in only to find it empty.

Well, that was odd to say the least. She would have thought for sure that he would have raided the non-perishables, at most.

"Ace, babe, where are you?" Nami called as she headed to the bedroom in case he had gone in there.

 _Baby, better watch your step_

 _Never mind what's on the left_

Empty again. Nami frowned as she began to wonder if Ace had fallen asleep somewhere inside the house. She looked in the living room next and her brow twitched again; he was not there either. Soon, she had looked into each room and yet, the freckled man was nowhere in sight.

Nami grew worried as she all but ran to the front door only to find it locked, which was a relief in itself. The cabin could only be locked from inside after all, unless one had the keys, which she did. So there went that option.

Flashes of lightning continued to paint the room in white and Nami searched the floor, and came upon a fallen picture frame. With growing trepidation, Nami picked up the object and looked over the photo, an old picture of her and her family...

 _You're gonna see things you might not wanna see_

 _It's still not that easy for me underneath_

Nami was further unsettled by her find. Had Ace dropped this? Was he hiding because he was afraid to make her mad? Nami doubted it, Ace was not the type of person to do that, if he had broken it, he would have apologized a thousand times over for the mess _after_ he cleaned it up. So then what?

 _A red river of screams_

 _Underneath_

Nami was stumped as she placed the picture back and stepped around the fallen glass. What could have happened?

She gave another sweep of the house as another and particularly loud thunderclap shook the small cabin, causing even her to jump in surprise. Nami wasn't afraid of the weather, she was more fascinated by it than anything else. But knowing that Ace was _somewhere_ in the cabin, possibly knocked out and by himself... Let's just say Nami didn't have a good feeling about it.

Ace wasn't the type of guy to just go missing, nor was he the sort to hide in places to wait out and scare her. Well, okay, he was, but only with his brothers; those rules did not apply to her, he was nothing but kind and caring towards her.

Biting her lip, Nami stopped in the middle of the hall and listened to the thunder, forcing herself to calm down as she thought about all the possible places her boyfriend could be.

"Ace?" She called out once more, receiving a defying silence in return.

Nami opened her mouth to yell at him again, and paused as she heard the barest rustle of clothes to her left, right before the thunder resounded again.

Her brow furrowed as she looked at the closed door of the hallway closet and very soon she frowned. Seriously, if Ace was just waiting to pounce at her and scare her after this! Nami growled as she pulled the the door open, "I swear to god, Portgas, if y–" her words left her as she stared at an empty closet.

Ace was _not_ there waiting to jump out at her. There were only coats left there from years before; and a new addition, Ace's hat, where he hung it earlier that day. Nami's features reflected her confusion, however, just as she was about to close the door, lightning flashed and something caught her eye.

A few drops of water were barely drying at her feet and beyond that… An orange towel.

Kneeling, Nami looked deeper into the closet and her anger flared again. "So you _were_ hiding in here!" She accused, and Ace flinched, curling into himself further.

Nami had been expecting a devilish grin, perhaps even a boisterous laugh from the dark haired man, but not this. Immediately, her anger was washed away with worry and guilt as she reached out for her boyfriend. "Acey?"

He didn't react, though. Not even when she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, though it was only then that she could feel him trembling.

"Ace, honey, are you okay?" Nami asked in the gentlest voice she had.

Ace shook his head as well as he could in his curled up position, and Nami was left confused as to what exactly was causing this behavior in her lover. Why was Ace in the closet, hiding and shaking like a leaf? "If it's because of the picture frame… It's okay, it wasn't worth much, just something Cora picked up from the dollar store." Nami whispered.

Ace muttered something into the cocoon of his arms, but before Nami could ask him to clarify, another clap shook the cabin, and Ace clutched at his head.

And it was then that Nami placed two and two together. "Ace…" She whispered as she saw the unmasked terror in his tear filled eyes.

 _Tears in my eyes_

 _Underneath_

Nami wasted no time in offering comfort, pulling Ace into her lap and cradling him into her chest as she stroked back his tangled mess of black hair. "Oh my god Ace, I had no idea, I'm so sorry." She whispered.

 _Stars in my black and blue sky_

 _And underneath_

 _Under my skin_

 _Underneath, the depths of my sin_

 _Look at me_

 _Now do you see?_

Ace was afraid of thunder, he had been terrified of them for as long as he could remember. He knew that he was safe in the cabin, that it was nothing more than wind and rain, some sort of weather phenomena where the hot and cold air mix and create the deafening thundering clap.

He had read into the subject so much that he knew just about everything about the storms as well as Nami did. He should have _known_ what the overhanging clouds meant when he saw them earlier, but he hadn't seen the signs. He wasn't looking for them, and he had failed in spotting them, now here he was at his most vulnerable, hiding in a closet of all places.

 _Welcome to my world of truth_

 _I don't wanna hide any part of me from you_

Ace held onto Nami as tightly as he could without hurting her when she pulled him against her, and he was forever grateful for the action. But he couldn't voice that at the moment. Ace was pretty much paralyzed by this irrational fear.

And he wanted to assure her so badly that she had nothing to be sorry for; she was not at fault, it was him, he was worrying her and he was sorry. But Ace couldn't say anything, instead all he could do was cling onto his lover, taking comfort in her strength as she whispered above him, murmuring reassuring facts about the storm outside of their hiding spot.

 _I'm standing here with no apologies_

 _Such a beautiful release_

 _You inside of me_

His fear stemmed back to when he was younger, back when Roger was still in the picture, or well... As much as he ever was. Ace had lost his mother in infancy long ago, and had never truly been able to remember much of her. All he had were photos to recall her by. So Roger had gained full custody of Ace, but the bastard didn't have the slightest idea of how to be a father, and instead continued to do as he pleased. Once Ace could more or less not kill himself while at home alone, Roger took off to the streets, drinking burning liquor with his buddies and gambling away the majority of his paycheck.

So, on rainy nights, Ace was left alone. He was left defenseless and scared to death of the storms when they were in season, and that fear was carried on into his later years.

After Ace was taken by the city officials, he was placed in a foster home where he was eventually adopted into the Newgate household. And there too, he experienced his frights when storms rolled in; Ace hid in dark closets, under beds and in the pantry a couple of times. The family eventually caught on, and together they helped Ace put together a Storm calming kit.

 _A red river of screams_

 _Underneath_

But Ace hadn't foreseen this outcome, how was he supposed to know that storms would be in season out here? Should he have guessed, he would have brought it along.

 _Tears in my eyes_

 _Underneath_

Ace would have warned Nami, he would have-he would have done many things differently in order to avoid scaring Nami as he had, but it was too late for that. Ace had reverted to his old habits and hid from her, worried her and he would have to make it up to her as soon as he could. He had ruined the weekend, he was sure of it.

 _Stars in my black and blue sky_

 _And underneath_

 _Under my skin_

 _Underneath, the depths of my sin_

 _Look at me_

 _Now do you see?_

Nami held Ace throughout the rest of the storm, telling him of all the times she and her family had done this and that in the little cabin. She told Ace the story of how Cora had once caught a two foot long catfish in the lake only to fall into the water right after and let the creature escape. She recounted the time she and Nojiko thought they could make trees grow out of fallen leaves.

The stories calmed Ace, enough so that he was no longer shaking, or flinching whenever a loud boom of thunder resounded around them. And pretty soon, he was able to respond to Nami, asking questions about her stories and counting along with her to determine the distance of the storm.

 _Underneath, underneath, underneath..._

 _Underneath, Underneath_

When it was finally over, Nami kissed his head and Ace let his head fall onto the crook of her shoulder, "I'm so sorry Nami. I'm sorry you had to find me like this."

Nami stayed quiet for a few moments and nuzzled her cheek to his dry hair, "Don't be sorry, we should have seen the forecast before heading out here, I'm so used to just _knowing_ how the weather will behave that I forget not everyone can see what I do. Are you okay, Ace?"

It took him a moment, but soon Ace nodded. "Yeah… Yes. I'm fine now."

Giving him one last squeeze, Nami gently pulled him away and smiled softly. "Good, let's get you into warmer clothes then, and I'll make us some hot cocoa, how does that sound?"

"You're the best, Nami, you know that?"

"I've heard it once or twice." She said lightly and helped him out of the closet.

 _Welcome to my world of truth_

"Have you always had astraphobia?" She asked Ace after he had changed.

Ace sipped his cup, stalling for a full minute before nodding sheepishly. "Since I was a kid, yeah. Marco tried to get me to go to a psychologist, you know, to help me cope, but I never liked talking about it. What kind of grown-ass man still hides away from lightning?"

"One in three, actually." Nami supplied and sighed, reaching over to his hand that twirled a pen nervously as he was prone to do. "Ace, why did you never tell me?"

Ace frowned, "Well, it's not the first thing I like admitting to, and since there are no storms back at home I never saw it as something that was needed to be said. And..." Ace ran his free hand through his disheveled hair and sighed. "More so, I didn't know how to tell you that after all these years I was still afraid of storms."

 _A red river of screams_

 _Underneath_

Nami hummed in response, and though she wanted to chide Ace for having kept such a secret from her, she honestly couldn't blame him. She could see where he was coming from even if she did not like the way she had to find out.

 _Tears in my eyes_

 _Underneath_

"Did you think I would judge you based solely on that and nothing else, Ace?" Nami asked, and when she didn't receive an answer, she frowned.

"I wouldn't, you know? And I still won't. Phobias aren't something to mess around with, and we all have them. It's just that some fears are felt more strongly than others. But never mind all of that, Ace, I love you. I have loved you even before we started dating."

Nami smiled and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Back when you would stop by the house to do your little odd jobs for the summer, I started getting a crush on you. Why else do you think I kept making you all those mandarin treats?" Nami chuckled, "I don't give up my mandarins for just anyone, you know?"

 _Stars in my black and blue sky_

 _And underneath_

 _Under my skin_

 _Underneath, the depths of my sin_

 _Look at me_

 _Now do you see?_

Nami and Ace talked for a while longer, a conversation that consisted on him apologizing and her reassuring Ace that things would be okay; yes, she had been scared of what had happened to him during the storm, but she understood. Nami wasn't going to hold any of that night's events after him, all she asked for was for him to tell her when something serious like that happened again.

 _Underneath, underneath, underneath_

 _Look at me_

 _Do you see?_

 _Yeah yeah yeah yeah!_

Ace brought up her hand and kissed her knuckles one at a time. For a long moment he was silent, ad Nami watched him closely as he stood up and effortlessly picked her up from the chair she had been sitting in.

Their hot cocoas had long ago turned cold and now remained forgotten on the table as Ace kissed the love of his life with so much warmth and love that left him feeling like a teenager again. Ace was just _happy_ to be with the most wonderful and amazing person he had ever met.

 _Look at me_

 _Do you see?_

"Yes, of course. And I'm sorry for not saying any of this earlier, Nami." Ace whispered in between breaths, "I love you."

"I love you too, Ace."

 _Welcome to my world of truth_

 _I don't wanna hide any part of me from you_

* * *

 **So yeah, I really _really_ love the aesthetic of this pairing, they are so adorable together! Nami and Ace make such a cute pair and if I did not ship Ace with just about half of the universe, then I would be on this as the top OTP of all my ships.**

 **But anywho :D, I hope you enjoyed it too! Please let me know what you think?**

 **See you guys tomorrow with anew one!~**


	8. This is War (WhitebeardxGarp)

**And let's roll onto day 3!~**

 **Song / Movie: This is War - 30 Seconds to Mars**

 **Pairing: NewgatexGarp**

 **Theme/Focus: Loss/Battlefield**

 **Summary: The title says it all, it's war.**

 **I own nothing. But i have to dedicate this particular one to Jei aka Picmurasaki on Tumblr for introducing me to this pairing! XD I spent an entire afternoon stalking her art and trust me when I say it's amazing, go check it out if you'd like! Enjoy!~**

* * *

 _A warning to the people,_

 _The good and the evil,_

 _This is war._

Two opposing sides came to the same conclusion. War was upon them. There was no stopping it, they were too different, too similar, and too stubborn to come to an agreement.

Edward Newgate simply wanted to be free, he wanted nothing more than to live his life as he wanted to, ignoring rules if he had to, and maybe even doing things illegally if there was no other way. But Garp D. Monkey was not like Edward, he was a veteran in the law system. He had an ingrained mindset to do everything by the book. He was a man of margins and some discipline, and it was his job to bring lawbreakers to justice.

 _To the soldier, the civilian,_

 _The martyr, the victim,_

 _This is war._

"I'm giving you one last chance Newgate, back down now and we can avoid the bloodshed." Garp rumbled, as his subordinates gathered behind him, loading the cannons, unsheathing their swords and removing their safeties off of their guns.

"Gurararara, you know what my answer will be Grap, I don't think there is anything else to discuss. My mind is as set as yours is, but why let the children get involved? Come at me yourself and I will do that same." the tall man reasoned, his voice booming across the battlefield despite the protest of his children behind him.

"Have it your way, Edward." Garp grinned and gave a signal for his men to stand down. The war would be be between two old friends. One battle, and one alone would determine the outcome to this once and for all. And in the end, only one of them would come out victorious and the loser, well he supposed something could be worked out when he won.

 _It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie,_

 _The moment to live and the moment to die,_

 _The moment to fight, the moment to fight_

 _To fight, to fight, to fight!_

The two men took off and charged at one another, one with his fists poised to attack and the other with his bisento by his side.

Much like the many uncountable times as before, they collided, two great forces of nature came together to exchange blow after blow. They were evenly matched; the deviant and the enforcer, just as they had been when they had first met.

 _To the right, To the left_

 _We will fight to the death!_

 _To the edge of the earth_

 _It's a brave new world_

 _From the last to the first_

Time dragged on and it looked like there would be no winner in this fight of equally strong men. One feigned and struck while the other dodged and kicked. Grunts filled the air along with the resounding sound of skin hitting skin, and Newgate's bisento being struck by Garp's brass knuckles.

It wasn't until a cry from their subordinates that chaos ensued. Marines and pirates alike yelled out their battle cries before they joined in on the fray, coming together in a frenzy of gun fire and clashing blades.

 _To the right, To the left_

 _We will fight to the death!_

 _To the edge of the earth_

 _It's a brave new world_

 _It's a brave new world!_

"Surrender Newgate, we have you outnumbered and surrounded." Garp goaded as he rose a balled fist and caught the other with one of his "Fists of Love".

"Gurararara, you'd like that wouldn't you, Garp." Edward boomed and returned the affectionate blow with one of his own. "But I'm afraid the day I surrender is not today."

"Bwahahaha, you sure about that, Edward?" Grap asked as his and Edward's fists met in an equally destructive punch.

 _A warning to the prophet,_

 _The liar, the honest,_

 _This is war._

"Ah, dads what are you doing, yoi?" Marco asked with a tilt of his head as the two men startled and looked up to their oldest son standing in the doorway of the family room.

"Gurararara, what does it look like we're doing, Marco? It's war of course." Edward laughed as he tossed an embroidered cushion at his unsuspecting opponent and laughed harder when it hit his husband across the face.

"Right…" Marco said with a raised brow as he leaned against the door frame and chuckled, "Over what this time?"

 _To the leader, the pariah,_

 _The victor, the messiah,_

 _This is war._

"We're trying to determine what show we'll be watching this season. A dystopian survivors tale of a group of kids or some comic based adventure." Edward supplied and dodged the oncoming "punch" of a pillow.

"You know there is this amazing thing now a days that lets you record those two shows and much more right, Oyaji? Its called a DVR, yoi." Marco teased as he crossed his arms across his chest and avoided a projectile aimed in his direction.

"Bwahahaha, we are very well aware of that contraption you and Ace set up, but that's not the point here my boy." Garp supplied as she peeked out of his makeshift fort and looked over to the doorway where Marco was giving him an expectant look.

"The point is, Marco, my son. That between Garp's and my work hours we don't have enough time to watch both shows together, so we're letting the game decide which we will focus on."

"Oh awesome, are dads deciding on something via war again?" Haruta asked as she ran into the room and looked from Oyaji to Garp, "Who's who?"

 _It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie,_

 _The moment to live and the moment to die,_

 _The moment to fight, the moment to fight,_

 _To fight, to fight, to fight!_

In no time, the entire household had rushed to the family room after hearing the chaos, and pretty soon everyone had chosen their sides: Ace, Thatch, Dragon, Vista, and Jozu had teamed up with Garp.

Whilst the others sided with Edward, who lead the rest of the family. His militia consisted of: Marco, Izo, Haruta, Rakuyou, Fossa, and Namur.

 _To the right, To the left_

 _We will fight to the death!_

 _To the edge of the earth_

 _It's a brave new world_

 _From the last to the first_

"Ready kids! For Justice!" Garp yelled and a volley of Nerf projectiles-supplied by the kids-rained down on their opponents.

"The hell Old Man, we agreed we wouldn't go with that battle cry!" Ace chided and the rest of the group laughed, knowing that he and Garp never quite saw eye to eye on that word; considering Garp's profession and Ace's mischief.

 _To the right, To the left_

 _We will fight to the death!_

 _To the edge of the earth_

 _It's a brave new world_

 _It's a brave new world_

 _It's a brave new world!_

Edward's group ducked and covered, staying clear of the oncoming projectiles and laughing with mirth as they too opened fire on the opposing side.

In no time, what had become a quarrel between two fathers became a family activity, much as it was prone to do. This of course was not the first time the family engaged in such an activity. The Newgate's actually used this sort of method to decide on events and options that they deemed to be non-serious. Such decisions that were made via war included: their last three vacation spots, innumerable movie choices, dinner options for special holidays, and themes for certain birthdays.

The rules to the game were simple, it was always one side against the other. And when you chose your side, you fought with anything you could that wasn't pointed, on fire, heavy, or breakable. The approved weapons were Nerf toys, pillows, cushions, balled up socks, stuffed animals, and things of that nature. A fort for such team was built in the family room, then you took cover and aimed, if you were hit in the head/face, gut, or chest that was minus one point, you got three total. After you lost all three strikes you fell in battle and would then resign yourself to the side and cheer your side on.

 _I do believe in the light_

 _Raise your hands into the sky_

 _The fight is done, the war is won_

 _Lift your hands toward the sun_

 _Toward the sun_

 _Toward the sun_

 _Toward the sun_

 _The war is won_

Oyaji and Garp were both down to one point each when their kids joined in on the fray, but still they were better coordinated and more masterful at the act of throwing and catching than the younger participants. So it came as no surprise that they were still in the game when Garp lost the first "casualty".

Edward's side knew not to cheer prematurely, as the other side swore vengeance for their fallen brother.

 _To the right, To the left_

 _We will fight to the death!_

 _To the edge of the earth_

 _It's a brave new world_

 _From the last to the first_

One by one they fell, each of them losing people on their sides and adding to the dramatic effect of the game, leaving brothers, sisters, and parents alike yelling out for their fallen comrade.

Laughter and battle cries continued to fill the large house as each side gained and lost ground with each victory and loss. Tying in their game for one moment and not the next. They were neck and neck the two sides, until… they weren't any more.

 _To the right, To the left_

 _We will fight to the death!_

 _To the edge of the earth_

 _It's a brave new world_

 _It's a brave new world_

 _It's a brave new world!_

The remaining people were Edward and Garp, two veterans facing off for another battle, their children out for the count and cheering in their respective sides.

"Give it up Newgate, I have you right where I want you." Garp said holding the last pillow at his disposal readying himself for the final blow.

"As I, you. Gurararara, come at me Garp!" Edward bellowed and rose his pool noodle "bisento" in the same process and again the two forces clashed.

 _A brave new world_

 _The war is won_

Two nights later the husbands were reclined in their bed, covers tucked around them and Garp with his head on Edward's chest while Edward looped his arm across Grap's shoulders holding him close.

The dim glow of the television light illuminating them in the darkness as the show that won played on the screen. Both of them content to watch the series with their love at his side.

 _The war is won_

 _A brave new world_

* * *

 **These guys were so much fun to write for, just imagining them throwing pillows at each other had me laughing. I realize that they're also a perfect opportunity for angst, but cmon look st their fluffiness.**

 **Anywho, I do hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think and I'll see you next time. Thanks for reading!~**


	9. You'll be in my Heart (DofflaCora)

**Let's delve into Day 4 of Rare Pair Week, shall we?~**

 **Song / Movie: You'll be in my Heart - Tarzan**

 **Pairing: DoflamingoxRocinante [DoffRoci]**

 **Theme/Focus: Childhood/Memories**

 **Summary: Doflamingo is aware that what he feels is forbidden. He loves his brother more than life itself. And still, the heart wants the hearts wants; and his is set on Rocinante.**

 **Warnings: Incest. Plain and simple people, don't like it there's the back button.**

 **I own neither One Piece nor any Disney stuff. Enjoy!~**

* * *

Doflamingo held his head high and rose his fists, ignoring the pain that flared across his torn and bloodied knuckles and his bruising cheek. He was not going to back down from these kids, no matter how many years they had over him.

He knew what he had walked into the moment he had thrown the first punch. Doflamingo _knew_ exactly what sort of people he was dealing with when he set his green eyes on them.

Bullies.

"Tch, c'mon guys they aren't worth it." The ringleader muttered after a long minute of facing off in a staring contest with Doflamingo. Perhaps he found something unnerving in those fierce green eyes, or maybe he had gotten bored with his targets and decided to find easier prey. Doflamingo didn't care, he was just glad to see them leave.

As soon as the older kids were gone from the schoolyard, a small hand reached out and tugged on Doflamingo's shirt, the small child sniffled as he clung onto his older brother. Doffy didn't need to see to know that his little brother was doing his absolute best not to cry, and was failing miserably. He simply knew him that well.

Doflamingo turned and was met with the watery blue eyes of his younger brother, "D-Doffy." the small child said in between sniffles as he reached out and touched Doflamingo's swollen cheek.

Doflamingo smiled softly as he shook his head, and took his brother's smaller hand in his " _Come stop your crying, it will be all right. Just take my hand, hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you. I will be here don't you cry."_

The younger Donquixote brother rubbed at his eyes with his free hand, swiping at his tears while nodding as bravely as he could.

Doflamingo smiled despite the flaring protest of his cheek, and ruffled his brother's curly blonde hair as he lead them home. "Let's go home now, Roci. I'm sure mother must be worried."

Rocinante nodded and followed after his older brother.

A short while later saw the pair of brothers home to a fussing mother. And though his mother was surprised to see them come home in such a disheveled state, it wasn't exactly their first time nor–Doflamingo suspected–the last to come. Bullies seemed to always target his younger brother for one reason or another, and Rocinante was too kind and soft to fight back, so Doflamingo had to step in.

Doflamingo had to protect his younger brother. It was his duty as an older brother to watch over him and get him out of trouble. This was something he had known from long ago, ever since they were younger.

Doflamingo had been two when Roci was born into the family, and ever since the younger could walk they have been inseparable.

Doflamingo never minded his presence, on the contrary, he loved having Rocinante around. The way Rocinante admired Doflamingo not only fueled his ego, but also made him feel needed, wanted, loved.

 _For one so small, you seem so strong_

 _My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm_

 _This bond between us, can't be broken_

 _I will be here don't you cry_

As time went on, Doflamingo continued to protect Rocinante from the world, when the older kids came to pick on him, he was only a few feet behind and fought tooth and nail until the offenders backed down. And when Roci needed help in any sort of subject, Doffy was there to help and tutor him.

Rocinante was a smart kid though, and very soon his studies paved a road of success for him. And the bullies became few and far between, and soon Doflamingo's presence was no longer so needed.

 _Cause you'll be in my heart (you'll be in)_

 _Yes you'll be in my heart (you'll be in my heart)_

 _from this day on, now and forever more_

And it was in that time of absence that Doflamingo came to realize a very dark truth about himself.

Throughout his years in highschool, Doffy came to realize two things, one was that he could never conform to what the world considered as _normal_. He was an eccentric bastard, and quickly became used to being the center of attention, he was known throughout the entire school and he loved that, but the only person he wanted to be the focus of attention to was Rocinante.

The other revelation he had about himself was that he was not only attracted to the same gender as his own, but that he was in love with his younger brother. Doflamingo knew that such a thing would never be approved of.

No one was ready for him to expose his secret. Society would see him as a freak and monster, and his family, well it was hard for him to decide how they would react, repulsed? Horrified? Would they shun him, disown him, send him to a psych ward and try to figure out what lay behind his unhealthy fascination with his younger brother?

Doflamingo didn't know, and despite his usually outgoing and flamboyant behavior, he could not bring himself to ever let go of this secret. He let it consume him, and before he knew it, Doflamingo started to head down a dark and jaded path.

* * *

Rocinante had grown up in Doflamingo's shadow for the majority of his life, his brother had always been the radiant, outgoing one. Doffy was the one who had the most friends, was bold and daring, he was everything that Rocinante wasn't. He was strong and independant, and Roci admired him for that. He wanted to be like his older brother, he wanted to be acknowledged by him, he wanted… what?

Rocinante was quicker to realize a few truths about himself. He knew without a doubt that he was not attracted to women, they scared him in a way that he could not explain. They were intimidating and for some reason or another, they found interest in him. Rocinante of course did his best to avoid them and when the inevitable came, he would have to turn them down from dances, dates, movies and so forth.

He was interested in men. He prefered their company to that of women, and still he could find no one he loved as much as his older brother.

Rocinante was in love with Doflamingo and he did not know how to deal with that.

In time, he was forced to watch as Doffy became more and more distant, heading out with his deviant friends and getting into all sorts of trouble. It started off small, loitering, theft, breaking and entering; and before the family knew it, Doffy moved out to do his own thing while Roci went off to college.

It wasn't until Roci was a semester into his studies as a school teacher when he decided he could no longer keep living his lie. His studies had kept him too busy, and he had no funds for the ten hour long commute needed in order for him to visit his brother.

He supposed another variable also played in the matter of his absence, and that was a sort of heart wrenching hope that his feelings over his brother would fade and cease to exist. Perhaps with distance between him and Doflamingo, Rocinante would see reason and finally see that what he felt for his blood, his kin, his _brother_ was not right.

The feeling hadn't faded, however, instead they became stronger and Rocinante could no longer put off his reuniting with Doflamingo anymore. So he dismissed his classes for the day and took off.

He took the first train he could catch to Dressrosa and boarded. The time Rocinante spent on his journey was blurred into a nervous mess. And within that same time frame Roci had wrung his hands a million times over and had gone over the many possible scenarios in his head. The two brothers had been estranged for nearly half a year to the date, so he had no idea just what to expect.

Hours later, Roci set foot upon the city of Dressrosa and checked the weathered piece of paper he had scribbled Doffy's address onto before leaving for college. With the help of a few people, Rocinante was able to make it to the lavish apartment his brother was occupying and after taking the elevator, he stood before the door.

Rocinante wouldn't be able to say how long he stood out there, it could have been fifteen minutes, and hour, or perhaps more. But in time, he finally gathered enough courage to knock on the door.

A minute passed, and Rocinante's heart sped up with every second that he was forced to wait.

Maybe Doffy was asleep, sure that could have been the case, maybe Roci should come back in a few hours with some coffee and donuts. He could bring Doflamingo's favorite pie too, as a peace offering.

As soon as he came to that conclusion, the door opened and Roci's blue eyes lit up as did his smile, though instead of the blonde he had been expecting to appear, there was someone else.

The man before Roci was several inches shorter than him. The man's dark hair was a mess, and he was working with a rather interesting beard that greatly resembled lightning bolts. But other than that, he was wearing nothing but his boxers and sported quite a straining–

"Can I help you?" The man asked with clear impatience.

"Ah, no!" Rocinante started, blushing furiously as he cleared his throat and started to back away from the stranger, "No, no I'm sorry I must have the wrong add–"

"Vergo, darling?" Another voice cut off Rocinante and rooted him to where he stood.

"Who's at the door?" the man asked as he draped himself around the dark haired man, his arms wrapping around his hips while the rest of his bare body pressed into him from behind.

"He was just leaving, actually." The man, Vergo, mumbled and made to close the door, but that was when it happened. Green eyes looked up from the bitten flesh to meet misted blue ones.

"Shit, shit. Fuck! Roci."

It was too late though, Rocinante had already turned and ran.

Rocinante didn't get far before he tripped on his own two feet. And still he picked himself up as hard as it was, angrily wiping at his eyes that teared up because, what? His brother had found someone he liked, maybe even _loved_ if he was willingly hugging him as he did.

He should be happy for Doffy, he should be elated that his brother had found a potential person to settle down with and have a life with. And yet, all he felt were emotions he did not know he was even capable of feeling.

 _Why can't they understand the way we feel (the way we feel)_

 _They just don't trust what they can't explain (you'll be in my heart)_

 _I know we're different, but deep inside us_

 _We're not that different at all_

* * *

Doflamingo cursed every single name in the book to hell and back as he ran to where his boxers were discarded and placed them on hastily before heading to the door.

"Get the fuck out of here, we're done!" Doflamingo roared as he pushed past Vergo and gave chase to his brother.

It didn't take long to find Roci, the elevator was not running so that was out of the question, and he knew his brother was not going to attempt to run down the stairs when he was so terribly clumsy. So that only left up as a viable option.

Doflamingo climbed three steps at a time as he headed to the roof, and once he got there Doffy all but banged the door open.

And that was where he found him. Rocinante was seated on a bench in the middle of the garden the apartment complex maintained for it's guests.

 _And you'll be in my heart_

Doflamingo's heart twisted in his chest, and he almost retreated, but he couldn't. So instead he did what he knew in his heart he should do. He walked over to Roci.

"I–I'm sorry for barging in on you. I probably should have called before just dropping by." Rocinante rambled on and Doflamingo sat beside him.

"Don't be sorry, Roci… Vergo, what you saw–" he stopped himself and ran a hand through his disheveled hair, "Fuck, Roci. Don't apologize, please. Vergo and I just–"

"I'd love to meet him." Rocinante cut in, smiling as best he could even though Doflamingo could see the strain in the action. "He did seem like a nice guy, does he make you happy Doffy?"

 _Yes you'll be in my heart_

Doflamingo was silent for a moment and hung his head. "It isn't like that Rocinante. Vergo and I aren't like that. We fuck occasionally, but that doesn't make him anything more. He's nothing more than an acquaintance."

Rocinante frowned and Doflamingo shook his head, "There's nothing more to it Roci, it was a one night stand turned to multiple nights. And I'm sorry you had to witness that."

"It's fine Doffy, really, who am I to dictate how you live your life, and if you keep seeing this man, don't you think that you might have more feelings for him than you claim?" Rocinante murmured looking away from Doflamingo and towards the skyline where the moon shone bright, illuminating the roof they shared.

 _From this day on, now and forever more_

"Feelings for Vergo?" Doflamingo echoed and snorted, "I'm sorry Roci, darling, but that is not possible. Sure the man is attractive and he is– well never mind what he is good at, but I hold no feelings for him other than some sort of friendship… but what about you? How's class going? Are you alright, is that what this impromptu visit has lead to?"

Rocinante was silent for a long minute before he sighed and rested his head on Doflamingo's shoulder. "Classes are as you'd expect, nothing over nor underwhelming about them. And the campus is as you'd expect: extravagant, filled with a bunch of bookworms and jocks, quite reminiscent of high school. But no I'm fine, that's not why I'm here though. I just… I really wanted to see you Doffy, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Roci." An hour of silence seemed to pass between the two brothers until Doflamingo spoke up. "And I'm sorry for…" he gestured around them.

"Sorry for what? Wanting something else than what we had?" Rocinante asked, "Mother and father don't blame you, you know. They understood, and I did too. You wanted to escape and become your own person, yes we wish it had been in a less destructive way, but as long as you're happy, then we are too."

"But I'm not." the words were barely above a whisper and for a moment Doflamingo doubted he had even spoken them out loud.

Rocinante had heard though, "What do you mean you aren't. Are you not happy Doffy?"

"No."

Doflamingo felt rather than saw Roci's hand reach for his, he shied away the first time, but on the second try, he held Doffy's hand just as they had done so many years ago. "Then why stay Doffy, why not return home, or go somewhere where you _will_ be happy?"

"For what purpose, Roci? I'll be miserable wherever I go."

"You weren't always miserable Doffy," Rocinante whispered. "We used to be happy up until a few years ago… what happened?"

Doflamingo frowned as he thought back to those days and stalled his answer. "Things were… less complicated back then Roci, I wasn't miserable because–" he paused and swallowed thickly. "Because I had you, Roci."

Silence stretched between them, and Doflamingo readied himself to take back his answer, but before he could do so, Rocinante spoke again. "You've always had me Doffy, we're brothers and I'm never going anywhere."

"But you did leave." his words were sullen, even to his own ears.

"I did." Rocinante agreed and his hand held Doflamingo's tighter for a moment. "But that didn't mean that I left left, I'm still here for you Doffy. I will always be here for you because, I love you."

" _Don't say that!_ " Doflamingo snapped in a much harsher tone than he had meant to and immediately regretted it when he felt Roci flinch away. The warmth at his shoulder left subsequently and Doflamingo felt even more guilty.

"But I do love you, Doffy." the whisper mixed into the night and Doflamingo was left conflicted.

Years of suppressing his love for his brother stirred in his soul and Doflamingo had to stop himself from saying anything else he knew he would come to regret.

That was the reason he had started acting out. It was the reason he left. Because he couldn't handle being so close to his brother without wanting more. He couldn't, no he _wouldn't_ ruin Roci like that.

Never.

"Doflamingo?" A timid voice asked from beside him, and he turned to it, unable to deny his attention to his younger brother, especially not when he used his name instead of his endearing nickname.

"I came to see you, because I need to get something off of my chest…" he began and Doflamingo's brow furrowed. "And to be quite honest, I don't know where to begin. Or how to exactly say it… So I'll just say it. Doffy, I love you."

Doflamingo sighed and ran a hand through the wavy locks of his brothers hair. "Of course you do, Roci. I love you too it's what family does." He said thickly, his voice rough as he said that statement more for himself rather than Rocinante.

"You're not listening to me, Doffy!" Rocinante yelled in such a way that had the elder regarding him cautiously. Roci rarely yelled, if ever and when he did. There was something clearly amiss.

"I love you. I love you more than I should, more than anyone should love their sibling. All this time that we have been apart has been an absolute Hell, I _loathed_ being away from you, not being able to see you, or talk to you, or to just be near you. I thought that if I could give this time, and just _realize_ that it was wrong, then I would be able to see reason… But what I felt hasn't changed. And when I saw that man earlier…" he trailed off, lowering his head in shame.

Whilst Doflamingo could only feel himself sink into nothingness. Every fear that he had ever known was shared by his brother, the one person he had sheltered from his feelings. Everything that Doflamingo had kept close to his heart, and had long ago locked away was being dredged up from the deepest, darkest part of his soul and he didn't know how to deal with that.

But that would have to wait, for in that moment, Doffy had to see to his younger brother. He had to make him smile and lighten his heart before he could figure his out.

"Roci, I-"

"Please don't, Doffy. Honestly, I'm sort of… Relieved that I found out… Because that just means that I'm the broken on-"

"Stop that, Rocinante!" Doflamingo furiously cut in and brought up Roci's lowered face. "You are not broken, you are not defective in anyway, nor are you wrong. You're perfect Roci, you always have been. And I love you for that."

Doflamingo brought his brother into an embrace and smoothed back the golden curls as he added. "I love you too, Roci. I always have, I just…"

"You thought it was wrong too." Rocinante finished for him, and Doflamingo could only give the barest of nods.

"Who says we're wrong about this Doffy? Society? The very same one who taught people long ago that attraction between different nations and genders was wrong? Who are they to tell anyone what is right and what is not when we know what love is?" Rocinante whispered as he held onto his brother.

" _Don't listen to them, cause what do they know?"_ he added in the same quiet tone.

" _We need each other, to have, to hold. They'll see in time, I know they will."_

Doflamingo had to laugh, "Thats quite an odd look to have on this situation. Don't you think, Roci?"

"I suppose Doffy, but even you can't deny that when _When destiny calls, you must be strong."_ Rocinante said with so much conviction that any and all protests Doflamingo could come up with were discarded and forgotten in the back of his mind.

 _I may not be with you, but you got to hold on._

 _They'll see in time, I know they will_

 _We'll show them together, cause_

"' _You'll be in my heart'_ isn't that what you once told me Doffy?" the younger man asked as he pulled away just enough to look at Doflamingo.

And the older of the two had to smile.

 _(oh baby)_

Indeed. He had said that in their youth. _"_ Roci, you've never left my heart. Not once. I meat what I said just as I mean it now. Rocinante, _You'll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forever more."_

"Nor have you ever left mine, Doffy." the younger of the Donquixote brothers assured him. " _Always, I'll be with you. I'll be there."_

" _I'll be there. I'll be there for you always, always."_ Doflamingo echoed as he held Rocinante closer. His mind and soul finally at peace that he was with the one he was meant to be with.

 _Just look over your shoulder_

 _Just look over your shoulder_

 _Just look over your shoulder_

 _I'll be there always._

* * *

" **Disney wasn't meant for this incest shit." A quote from my sister while I was writing this. XD and I mean she isn't wrong lol, then again have you guys read the real tales behind Disney films?**

 **Anywho, Roci and Doffy are so great together! I absolutely love them and this song is just so beautiful I could not help myself lol.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing this. Please share your thoughts? See you next time!~**


	10. The Trail we Blaze (AceLaw)

**Oh shit, Day 5 is** _ **finally**_ **here!~**

 **Song / Movie: The Trail we Blaze - The Road to El Dorado**

 **Pairing: AcexLaw**

 **Theme/Focus: Adventure / Island**

 **Summary: Ace and Law set out on a trip.**

 **Warning: Unbeta'd so yeah all mistakes are my own.**

 **I own nothing in regards to One Piece or DreamWorks, enjoy!~**

* * *

"Remind me why we're out here again, Ace-ya." a voice dangerously close to a growl asked, speaking much louder than he normally would due to the cacophony of sounds that seemed to emerge out of every possible crevice around them.

"Because the map said so." The freckled man stated with a playful roll of his eyes as he sidestepped what looked like a large puddle of sludge. "Ah, and because you love me. C'mon, don't sound so glum, it's not like you had anything better to do."

 _Look out new world here we come_

 _Brave, intrepid and then some_

"Actually, I was in the middle of looking through your case files, to see if there was any way we could make you less annoying, remember?" Law all but huffed out as he followed the shorter man deeper into the jungle.

Ace, however, just laughed. "Fuck Trafalgar I've never felt more loved in my life, I knew there was a reason I still kept you around."

"I was being serious." the older of the two grumbled under his breath, but kept pace easily enough. "Is there a reason as to why we had to fly all the way out to Little Garden on a weekday and go into the, may I remind you, _unexplored_ jungle without authorization from the World Government."

 _Pioneers of maximum_

 _Audacity whose resumes_

 _Show that we are just the team_

 _To live where others merely dream_

"Because Lawsie, we're Chasers! That's what we do! Or have you forgotten?" Ace replied and whirled on the other, repeating the same words Law was all too familiar with.

"And as Chasers it is our duty-no an _honor_ to go out and adventure into new lands and uncover its mysteries. Had we gone to the WG they would have taken months or even _years_ before we would be given proper authorization to get here. Besides it's not like we're doing anything illegal." Ace reasoned with a spring to his step.

 _Building up a head of steam  
On the trail we blaze_

"Yes, yes it is Ace-ya." Law drawled with a shake of his head.

"Everything done outside of the law is considered illegal and not getting our licenses to be anywhere near this area means that we are doing something illegal." he added as he waved off a couple of lingering insects, careful not to kill them just yet since he had yet to see their role in the new ecosystem.

"Well, we're already here so…" Ace gave a cheeky grin, "nothing we can do now but keep on moving, c'mon the map says to go this way."

Law sighed knowing better than to suggest they backtrack and get the proper documentation for the exploration. Instead he asked. "And how exactly did you get this map if this area is unexplored?"

"I got it from Marco but, it only details up to the next point, so after that we're on our own." Ace replied and looked ahead, though that proved fruitless due to the dense foliage surrounding them from all sides.

"Of course you did." Law said with undisguised annoyance. "Even after the many times I've told you Phoenix-ya is not a reliable source of information."

"And I keep telling you his shit is credible, Law. You're just getting defensive again because you think he has a thing for me, but we both know it isn't true." Ace said as he skipped from a rising root onto a fallen log.

"He does. You'd see it too if you weren't so caught up in your own ego, Portgas-ya." Law huffed out and ignored the laughter that rose out from his lover.

"Seriously, I just don't see what you mean, Law. The guy barely looks in my direction much less try any moves that would even suggest he is even remotely interested. Not that I want him too;" Ace shrugged sweeping a large draping leaf to the side and letting Law pass through before taking point again. "I already found my better half, even though the guy can be kind of a grump and for some reason refuses to taste my bread."

Law stumbled in his stride and the utterly mortified look he gave Ace made the younger man laugh harder at the predicament. "As if bread wasn't bad by itself, but bread made by you? Portgas-ya, you don't know the meaning behind restraint when it comes to fire and ovens are by no means an exception. So yes, I'm sorry I do not want to kill myself with your charred poison."

Another laugh rang out from Ace, as he pocketed the map and scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Fair enough. And will you look at that, we've made it to the end of the map, time to put our skills at work."

 _Changing legend into fact  
We shall ride into history_

Law and Ace were what the world knew as _Chasers._ They belonged to small organization that specialized in exploring and researching certain parts of the world that were classified as uninhabitable due to the environment, the creatures that populated it, or because it was newly found.

Thus it was a Chaser's job to head into the unknown and see if it could serve a purpose to the world, such as a place of relocation, a place of resources and many other things that were just fancy terms for: how can we use it?

Normally Chasers worked in groups of two to five members depending on the severity of the case, and in their own assigned regions given by the World Government. But in this case, Ace and Law were working without the knowledge of their superiors, as one of them was extremely prone to do.

 _Turning myth into truth  
We shall surely gaze_

Ace was darn good at his job, he was one of the top explorers that the organization had. Though many people attributed his success to one thing: his questionable upbringing in the some of the harshest conditions brought upon by his eccentric grandfather, who happened to be one of the top executives within the World Government.

Truth of the matter was, Ace just loved doing what he did, yes he was tougher because of how he was raised, but even if he had been brought up like his brother Sabo–pampered until he couldn't take it anymore–he was sure he would still be one of the best Chasers alive.

Law was also great at his job, he was more of a researcher than an explorer in their line of work, and he prefered working at the lab. However, there were times that the researchers were needed on site of the explored area and as such that had been how Law and Ace met a few years back.

Ace and Law hadn't exactly seen eye to eye back then, with Law being more reserved and well rather introverted; and Ace being more open and bold. Then couldn't have been more opposite from one another, but after a highly successful mission from the duo, they were paired up more and more frequently.

And during their missions, they became closer, became friends and soon enough they fell in love.

 _On the sweet unfolding  
Of an antique mystery  
_

"So this is where the bird brain turned tail and ran." Law mused as he stared down into the dark crevice before them, and stepping back when a gust of wind flew up the fracture carrying with it the scent of sulfur.

Where Law made a displeased expression, Ace's eyes lit up with glee and excitement, "Which means that it's up to you and me to keep going, you know what they say about this place right Law? This is where it has been said that _everyone_ originated from. Think of all the cool ruins we could find, and…" Ace paused to wiggle his eyebrows. "We might even find some of those nifty coins you like to collect."

 _All will be revealed  
On the trail we blaze  
_

Law's frown deepened, though temptation glittered in his golden gaze, "While I do wish to find out more about Little Garden, there's a restriction on this island Ace-ya. The sulfur itself indicates that there is at the very least a dormant volcano on this island. But by the scent of it, I believe it's active, not about to explode and destroy us where we stand active, but awake. We should have backup."

"Backup for what Law? We can do this all on our own!" Ace protested and crossed his arms over his well defined chest. "We don't need anyone else stepping into this case, you and I are perfectly capable of scoping out the area and setting the grounds for step 2."

"But you fail to realize that we are doing this off the record." Law retorted and sighed,

"Ace, what exactly is going on here? While we all know that you are rebellious, even you have to admit that going into this uncharted territory is unsafe. Which brings me to believe that Phoenix-ya really didn't give you that map because even as annoying as he is, even he wouldn't place a fellow Chaser into danger, not without tagging along. So no one knows that we're here, do they?"

When Ace failed to answer, Law had gotten his answer. "If something were to happen to either you or me, no one would be aware of it. So before we go another step, what really is on this island that you didn't tell me?

 _Paradise is close at hand  
Shangri-la the promised land  
Seventh heaven on demand  
Quite unusual nowadays_

Ace scratched the back of his head and pressed his lips together in thought. "I really do want to tell you, Law. But, see the thing is… the end is a surprise and I don't want to ruin it. But everything you've heard of this island isn't true. My mom and Roger used to come here all the time before they had me. So yeah, I didn't get the map from the Pineapple, I got it from my mom's Chaser stash."

Law stared at Ace for a long moment before he let his shoulders fall. "Okay then, we'll continue, but the moment this little expedition of yours we are pulling back and getting _clearance_ if you want to return, deal?"

 _Virgin vistas, undefiled  
Minds and bodies running wild  
In the man behold the child  
On the trail we blaze_

"Deal!" Ace agreed and the resulting smile that appeared on his lips relaxed Law further. Placing his trust on Ace and following him once more as the younger of the two headed further into the unknown.

 _The trail we blaze  
Is a road uncharted  
Through terra incognita to a golden shrine  
_

There was no denying that Ace was a great Chaser, he could find a way out of nearly every situation, but when no map and no directions were thrown into the mix, things got a whole lot more interesting.

Twice they had to backtrack when they kept running into the same moss covered boulder, and when they reached a cliff, Ace proclaimed that they had gone too far. While Ace laughed at the predicament, Law hung his head exasperatedly, and though he did have half a mind to call the mission to a close, he knew that it meant a lot to his boyfriend, and thus reserved his comments.

 _No place for the traveler  
To be faint-hearted  
We are part of the sumptuous grand design  
_

By midday they were back on track and Ace was balancing himself on a winding bridge left behind by people of hundreds of years back. They crossed one at a time, cautious step after cautious step, and when they reached the other side, the triumphant smile that Ace gave Law melted away all of his past annoyance.

After that bridge, the journey was much smoother. Ace began to navigate the land as if he had been there many times before. He pointed out the sinkholes, and the native poisonous plants that littered the island. A few times he had to give up a few snacks to the creatures that came to close to them, and it seemed that even his narcolepsy was aboard with his plan, for it showed up at the most opportune moments.

While Ace took his forced nap on Law's lap, the tattooed man took the quiet moments to think about their journey, adding their stops, twists and turns to the mental map he was tracking in his mind. He couldn't entirely help the habit, he was a researcher and it had been engraved into his soul since joining.

 _Shangri-la the promised land  
Seventh heaven on demand  
_

Soon enough, Ace came back to himself and stole a kiss from the unsuspecting researcher before hopping onto his feet and dragging Law along for the last stretch of the hike.

"Just a little more Law, we're almost there." Ace assured him, answering the unspoken question in Law's eyes.

"But where exactly is _there?_ " Law questioned not for the first time, and again he received the same answer.

"You'll see."

 _Quite unusual nowadays  
Virgin vistas, undefiled  
Minds and bodies running wild  
In the man behold the child  
On the trail we blaze  
_

Law of course had no choice but to listen to his boyfriend as they continued further into the place that no longer seemed to be unfamiliar to Ace. And the sights that they shared on the remainder of their journey were stunning. Some of them were too beautiful for words, they were the embodiment of mother nature. Every pure aspect that came with the world around them and its living organisms surrounded them, and it nearly made Law forget that there were cities out there, entire places populated with people that lives in iron, plastic, and concrete.

 _Changing legend into fact  
We shall ride into history  
Turning myth into truth  
We shall surely gaze on the sweet unfolding  
Of an antique mystery_

It wasn't until they reached a waterfall, that Ace stopped and turned to him, smile still as bright as the day they met; but unlike that day it didn't vanish. The smile was there to stay.

"Just one more turn Law." Ace spoke over the roaring of the falls and held out his hand to Law, who took it without hesitation and allowed himself to be lead once more. Ace walked deliberately towards the waterfall, and without a falter in his step he lead them behind it, Law was rather surprised, but didn't say anything as they walked into the hidden cave.

Their steps echoed along the dark corridor, but that soon ended as they approached the light at the end of the tunnel. Law of course was skeptical, but he remained silent, trusting Ace wholeheartedly as they reached the destination his boyfriend had in mind.

Five steps later, Law and Ace stood at the mouth of the cave, pure awe bringing their jaws down to the floor.

The place before them was nothing short of paradise. The walk there had been beautiful of course, but none of those sights held a candle to this place. The tunnel lead to a dome of sorts, surrounded at all sides by the volcanic rock that had built over the ages. Water from the falls dribbled down and fed the plant-life, while crevices and skylights allowed the sun to share its energy down there. Fruit trees and flowers alike rose from the ground to decorate the expansive place, overtaking the small hut that laid to the side of the entrance.

It took a while, but eventually Law was able to pry his eyes away from the beauty of nature and turned to Ace who smiled at him. "My parents used to crash here a lot, you know before… and I only just found out about it, so I wanted to see it, and share it with you."

"Ace-ya, I don't know what to say...thank you."

"Just say: yes." Ace replied.

"What will I be agreeing to, exactly?" Law asked.

"This isn't the only thing I wanted to share with you Law, I want to share everything with you, I want to ask you; Marry me?" Ace asked, all the while settling down on one knee and a small opened box in one hand.

 _All will be revealed  
On the trail we blaze  
On the trail we blaze_

* * *

 **Ahaha, who gave me the right to that ending?**

 **I have been itching to write this one lol, but it wasn't coming out right, I went through like two pairings before I was like, you know what? I'm bringing back my love for my AceLaw OTP and viola! Mystery fluff! And can I just say that i really _really_ love The Road to El Dorado and MiguelxTulio is the most amazing OTP? yes yes yes, awesome!**

 **Anyway I'll stop while I'm ahead, please let me know what you think? Thank you and see you next time!~ [P.S. I'll be skipping day 6 for now because I couldn't find a good song/pairing for it, so if you's like to suggest one feel free to do so, all I ask is that you _suggest_ if I like it, I'll do it. Sound good?]**


	11. Can't Help Falling in Love wYou (LawLu)

**Ok so this one's late introduction is completely on me, I meant to get this out last weekend, but I got distracted. I'd still like to wish a Happy belated birthday to one of the sweetest chicks I know and love, AmaranthPaiPai, this one's for you my dear! Enjoy!~**

 **Song / Movie: Can't Help Falling in Love with You - Elvis**

 **Pairing: LawLu**

 **Summary: Love was a foreign concept to him. It was something he wasn't taught as he grew up, and something he hadn't discovered yet. Maybe he just wasn't meant for love, maybe love was meant for everyone but him? That's what he believed; up until he met a certain friend and he began to question what he knew to be true.**

 **Warning: Neglect, self doubt, Undervalue of self, Unbeta'd**

 **I own nothing in regards to One Piece nor any referenced media.**

* * *

Luffy had always had friends. He was always quick to like people and invite them into his circle with smiles and warmth. But Luffy didn't love them.

Well that statement isn't entirely true, because Luffy _did_ care very deeply for his friends, he loved them in the way one cherished precious moments, and things, but he didn't love _love_ them if that made any sense.

 _Wise men say_

Luffy had been taught at an early age that the notion of Love was not something he should seek out or something that was given out freely.

His father had instilled this mindset into him. Dragon had lost Luffy's mother when he was no more than two years into the world. The details of her death were still sketchy to Luffy, and his father refused to give any information about it to him.

Instead of providing answers for a curious boy, Dragon's eyes went distant and the light in them turned harsh and chilling. Dragon would go quiet and leave the room, then he would proceed to ignore his son's questions for the next several days until Luffy promised he would never bring up his mother again.

Dragon did love Luffy in his own way. But he didn't know how to express it, and with the loss of his wife, he didn't know he was wronging the growing boy.

And so this was how he was raised. A boy who lit up like the sun but was just as distant to everyone around him.

Luffy thought the behavior was normal, not loving people that is. He didn't know that he could, or rather was allowed to care for people more than he already did.

Luffy supposed he was fine with that until he wasn't.

 _Only fools rush in_

It hadn't been an instantaneous friendship like all of his other ones. The friendship with this particular person had been odd at best.

Luffy had met Law one day when he was in line for a vending machine, eagerly awaiting his turn for a bag of barbeque flavored chips. He was behind two other people, and soon enough there was someone waiting in line behind him.

Luffy didn't think twice about it, he simply continued to wait, fidgeting with a coin as he was prone to do when he was forced to be still for too long. His absent behavior continued for a couple more seconds before a deep voice spoke up.

"You aren't thinking of using that coin for the machine...are you?"

Luffy didn't hear his name, so he didn't think much of the statement and took the next spot once the person in front of the line left.

"O-Oi, kid." that same voice spoke up behind him, and Luffy couldn't help but turn his head.

Luffy tilted his head in confusion as he looked around, everyone in the area was engaged with their own groups and conversations, the guy in front of him getting his snack and leaving the machine, giving Luffy the next spot in line. But Luffy didn't advance because, a pair of golden eyes were on him. The guy from earlier had spoken to him.

"I asked if you were gonna use that coin in the machine." he repeated glancing from Luffy to the coin.

Luffy's brow furrowed as he followed the others line of sight which was directed at his coin.

"Yeah?" Luffy said with growing confusion.

"Well you can't." the taller boy grumbled.

"Why not? It's my half dollar." Luffy said, his voice growing defensive while he glared at the older teen.

 _But I can't help falling in love with you_

"Because that's a collectible and using it to buy whatever that machine has isn't worth it." the other said with a frown.

Luffy only blinked at him, unsure of what exactly was transpiring. He couldn't use the coin because it was collectible? Money was collected? Hell if he knew, as far as his knowledge of money went, it was used to buy stuff, like his chips, or was hoarded by people like Nami. And he knew for a fact that she wasn't collecting, that was just Nami being Nami.

The boy sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair and muttered something about calmness and corals under his breath. "I don't mean to be rude. If I'm acting rude I… I apologize. It's just that, that coin." the boy pointed at Luffy's hand. "Is one that was only made for a limited time, it's really hard to get, so it's worth more than all the shit that's in the vending machine. Don't put it to waste."

Luffy stared at him for a long time before a pout made its way to his lips. "But it's the only half dollar I have, if I don't use it then what will I use to pay the chips?"

 _Shall I stay?_

"Is that seriously what you're worried about?" the older boy sounded frustrated. However, before Luffy could answer, he walked past him and began to put money into the machine.

"Hey! I was next, you cutted!" Luffy cried out and reached for the guy's shoulder.

But the other didn't get angry when Luffy touched him, nor did he say anything about the accusation. Instead he asked. "I'll pay for it. So which snack do you want?"

Luffy was stunned for a moment before his signature smile was back on his face. "Really, you'd do that?"

The taller boy nodded, "Yeah."

"You're nice I like you." Luffy said without a second thought and pointed to his preferred choice of potato chips. "That one!"

"Is that all you want?"

"Mhm." Luffy hummed and snatched the chips as soon as they were dispensed. "Thanks a lot man!" he said and tore the bag open, digging into his favorite snack.

"Just promise me you'll take better care of that coin." he said and started to insert more coins into the machine.

Luffy pressed his lips together as he chewed on his delicious chips. "Nah."

The other froze and turned to look at him with a glare that would have made most men turn away. But Luffy only smiled in return.

"I can't promise I'll remember to not spend it, or lose it. So;" Luffy thrust his open hand at the stranger. "You take care of it."

A look of confusion crossed his face as he looked at the coin in Luffy's hand and then back at him, frowning. "You do realize what you're doing right?"

 _Would it be a sin_

Luffy smiled and nodded, "Of course I do. You really care about this old coin for some reason and I can't keep your promise, so instead of breaking it. I'll let you have it."

The other stared at him skeptically for a moment, not moving to take the coin but also not refusing. "But it's a collectors item."

Luffy shrugged, "I wouldn't know really, it looks like any other coin to me. So you take care of it."

Silence followed Luffy's words for a moment before the stranger finally reached out and took the coin gingerly, his golden eyes coming to meet Luffy's chestnut brown. "Thank you."

"Shishishi. Don't mention it! My name's Luffy D. Monkey, thanks again for the chips!" Luffy beamed.

"Law Trafalgar, you're welcome… and, uh, thanks." he said with the faintest of smiles.

 _If I can't help falling in love with you?_

* * *

Luffy didn't see Law again for a good while. In fact he had nearly forgotten about the boy with a fondness of coins until he bumped into him again. This time it was at a shopping center.

Luffy had been there with Zoro, but it seemed that the green haired teen had ended up taking a wrong turn and had gotten lost again. Thus Luffy was on his search for him, though with his equally bad directional skills, he wasn't having much luck finding his best friend.

 _Like a river flows_

 _Surely to the sea_

Luffy started by checking every store, and along his search he came into an antique shop, thinking that maybe Zoro would be drawn into the shop to browse through their sword inventory.

Luffy entered the shop, ringing the small bell poised above the door and walked around the space. His eyes wandered over the laid out objects that had either passed the test of time or had been brought in recently to be given new homes.

Eventually he made it to the sword section and had to pout when his best friend was nowhere in sight; the only person there was the girl who liked to argue with him for hours on end about the ancient blades.

Luffy turned to leave but quickly figured that if Zoro was going to show up anywhere in the center, it would be there, to look longfully at the swords and maybe finally placing one on layaway.

So Luffy took to browsing again, making a turn to his favorite item in the shop; and soon enough he bumped into someone else. He "oomph'd" and pulled away with a string of apologies that died the moment he met those impossibly golden eyes.

 _Darling, so it goes_

 _Some things are meant to be_

"Oh it's you, Luffy-ya." the man said, not at all bothered that Luffy had collided into him.

And to Luffy's added embarrassment, he could not remember the name of the other teen. He racked his mind for something, anything, last or first name from that first meeting they had back in the school courtyard by the vending machine. He came out somewhat empty handed, but went with the first name he found. "Oh hey, Torao. Shishishi, sorry about that, I was distracted by that little ship over there, it's shaped like a sheep."

"Torao?" the other repeated with a slight frown, testing the name on his lips.

Luffy only beamed, hiding the fact that he had completely forgotten his name. "Yep, sounds cool, huh? You can give me a nickname too if you want."

He frowned, "I'm good, thanks. But please call me Law, I don't know what a Torao is."

Luffy laughed, "You look like a Torao though, and it sounds awesome."

Law rolled his eyes and looked back to the glass counter, that Luffy only then realized was where all the coins were kept. So that was what brought the other man to the shop.

"Do you want the ship?" Law asked and Luffy hummed for a moment before his head snapped up in alert.

"Y-no," he smiled sheepishly, "Nah, don't worry about it I was just here waiting for a friend to show up, I was hoping on meeting him here." Luffy explained, but it seemed that Law was not listening to him.

Instead Law called for the store merchant and motioned him over to them, explained that he wanted the little sheep ship and paid for it then and there. Luffy only stared wide eyed as he was presented with the little figurine he had been eyeing for the better part of two years.

 _Take my hand,_

 _Take my whole life, too_

"Torao, you didn't have to, I can't–"

"Quiet, Luffy-ya." Law cut in and slipped his hands into his jean pockets. "That measly bag of chips wasn't enough of a repayment for the coin that you gave me." he said and when Luffy went to protest again, Law shook his head.

"I'm not taking it back and the store has a strict No Refund policy, so spare us the argument and accept it… are you hungry?"

Luffy's stomach answered for him, but he couldn't leave Zoro defenseless at the center, so he had to decline.

The small smile that was growing on Law's lips quickly turned into a frown, but Luffy explained the situation he had found himself in, and that seemed to appease the other. To a degree that is. Law insisted he grant a final thank you to Luffy and take him out, and in time they came to an agreement, Luffy would meet Law at Baratie the following day for lunch.

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

One lunch turned hanging out, and hanging out quickly became nights out to arcades, theatres, games and dinners. Luffy very much enjoyed Law's company and he quickly became one of his best friends.

 _Like a river flows_

 _Surely to the sea_

"He likes you, doesn't he?" Zoro said one day Luffy was hanging out at his house.

"Huh?" Luffy asked from his spot on the floor and flipped another page of the comic he was reading.

"That Trafalgar guy," Zoro rumbled flipping past yet another channel on the television. "He likes you."

"Shishishi, of course Torao likes me, he's my friend, silly." Luffy said flipping another page.

"That's not what I mean Lu, I meant he _like_ likes you, haven't you seen the way he smiles around you?" Zoro asked glancing at Luffy.

Luffy didn't outwardly adknowledge Zoro's comment, save for a slight hunch to his shoulders and muttered a quick, "Haven't noticed."

Zoro's brow furrowed as he sat up from his seat, forgetting the remote and looked at his best friend who was staring way too intently at the page before him. Zoro would bet that Luffy longer reading the words either, not with the way he had gone so rigid. "Luffy, I don't think Law could make it any more clear that he likes you… If you don't like him back, all you have to do is tell him. I'm sure he'll back off."

"Mhm. Yeah… Hey Zoro, isn't the championship game on tonight? Burgess vs Cavendish?" Luffy asked suddenly sitting up and setting the comic aside after snatching the remote.

His voice was filled with forced cheer, and Luffy knew that Zoro could hear it; hell _he_ could hear it, but still he persisted. "Who do you think'll win Zoro?"

 _Darling, so it goes_

 _Some things are meant to be_

Zoro had dropped that conversation, and they didn't speak about it again. A day passed, then two, a week went by, and soon a month and more.

Luffy couldn't pretend like it hadn't happened though. Because it had, and he began to notice the truths behind Zoro's words. Law did act differently around him, and Luffy began to act differently too, but not for the better.

And unfortunately, for Luffy, Law was able to pick up on the changes. What had been a small blossoming smile began to dim until a frown was in its place. And man, did Luffy miss that smile. But he said nothing. Instead he continued to keep Law at arms distance, all the while wanting to be closer to him.

But Luffy didn't know how to do that. Luffy didn't know how to _express_ the new feeling in his heart and as such he resorted to doing as his father had done with him in his childhood. He stayed away from Law.

 _Take my hand,_

 _Take my whole life, too_

Luffy continued his dance of avoidance and distance until he was cornered one fateful day.

Bepo had invited Luffy to Law's surprise birthday party, and no matter how much he tried Luffy couldn't think of a good enough excuse to miss the event. Maybe the problem was that he didn't want to. No matter how much time he had spent avoiding and dodging Law, Luffy knew that he couldn't miss the party. He wouldn't miss it.

The celebration was fun, and Luffy easily forgot his troubles, enjoying the merriment that accompanied his best friends, his cherished people.

Even Law managed a smile or two here and there. And only then did Luffy realize just how much he missed being at the receiving end of those smiles. He was glad that Law was having fun, he deserved to be happy, Luffy knew that Law deserved every ounce of happiness that the world had to offer.

"Talk to him." A voice next to Luffy made him jump out of his skin and nearly drop the plate of meat in his hands.

"What the hell Zoro!" Luffy exclaimed and pouted stuffing his face once again.

"Talk to him." Zoro repeated, and when Luffy didn't immediately answer, Zoro frowned and snatched the plate from Luffy's hands. "Look Lu, usually I'd let you deal with whatever it is you have going on, but not this time. No one can break you out of this melancholy shit you have going on and we hate seeing you like this. So," Zoro shrugged a shoulder as he held the plate over his head out of Luffy's reach. "Here's my ultimatum, talk to Trafalgar, sort out what you need to and _when_ that gloomy look is out of your eyes, then I'll give you this."

"Stingy." Luffy grumbled and stuffed his hands into his pockets. However, instead of Luffy eagerly rectifying the issue at hand, he turned from his friend and did the only thing he knew. He ran from uncertainty. "I'll see you in school, Zoro."

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

"Luffy-ya!" The voice behind him had Luffy freezing in his tracks, he knew that voice. The one from the boy in the vending machine line, that also belonged to the same guy in the antiques store. The voice of one of his closest friends, someone he cherished more dearly than the others, someone that he _loved_.

"Are you listening to me Luffy-ya?" Law asked, his voice getting closer.

Luffy couldn't respond though, too caught up on trying to move, yet wanting to stay. Needing to turn around to look at Law, even though he knew no smile would greet him; his voice sounded anything but happy.

"Luffy-ya." Law was behind him now, "Are you… are you okay?"

"No." Luffy's answer was simple, yet so full of emotion.

Law was quiet for a moment, and very gently he laid a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "You're shaking… are you ill?"

"Y-yes. No! Maybe? I don't know." Luffy was losing what little emotional control he had, his voice breaking despite his efforts. "I just–"

"If you aren't feeling well I should take you home, the weather isn't exactly warm anymore." Law interjected and wrapped that same arm around Luffy's shoulders, guiding him in the direction of Luffy's home.

Together they walked in silence until Luffy stopped walking, making Law pause with him.

"What are you doing out here Torao, your party's back there."

"I could ask you the same thing, Luffy-ya. Since when are you one to miss an event." Law asked in return and sighed. "But if you must know, I followed you because I'm worried for you."

Luffy's brow furrowed as he chanced a glance at Law, frowning as he made sense of his words. "Why are you worried, I'm not sick. I just… I ate some bad meat, maybe."

"You're a terrible liar, Luffy-ya. I was thoroughly convinced long ago that your stomach lining is well beyond our current evolutionary period. But I am worried, because although you've done an exemplary… uh great job at hiding it behind a smile; it's clear that you're not happy. Want to tell me what's going on?"

Luffy opened his mouth to protest, to deny that everything was A-okay but instead he looked away."Nothing's wrong, Torao. I'm fine."

"You realize that's usually code for 'I need help'?" Law asked and slipped his hands into his pockets. "And you're probably wondering what do I care, right? You're probably thinking that none of this is my business and I should keep my nose out of it and leave you alone. Trust me I've pondered this subject for months now. But I _do_ care, and I want to help, and you want to know why?"

"Why?" Luffy's voice was a strained squeak, high pitched and barely audible past the roaring in his ears.

"Because, I like you Luffy-ya." Law stated simply and looked over to Luffy. "And I don't like seeing that sadness in your eyes."

"B– Torao…" Luffy couldn't grasp the words that Law was saying. "What are you…?"

"I'm not asking you to return my feelings, nor am I telling you this so you'll open up to me, Luffy-ya. I'm just letting you know my reasons for wanting to help, for wanting to see you light up like you used to… I miss your smile."

"I, "Luffy hesitated, but he pushed on, battling every instinct that told him to shut down his emotions until a small smile rose to his lips. "I've missed your smile too, Law."

Maybe it was possible for Luffy to _love_.

 _For I can't help falling in love with you_

* * *

 **I have a serious issue in making things longer than I mean them to. This is like a 7 lyric song for fucks sake! But I liked it, and though LawLu isn't my current obsession, I still love it. They're chemistry is just so** _ **right**_ **you know? Law and Luffy sharing this broken sense of the world is my new aesthetic for them and don't I need it to fuck me up lol. This seriously could have been longer [like multi chap long] but it's a songfic and I've stalled in gifting my lovely friend long enough.**

 **So here you go my dear, and again Happy belated birthday!**

 **Please tell me what you think? Every thought is appreciated. Till next time!~**


	12. Strangers Like Me (AcexNami)

**Holy fuck guys! Guess who isn't dead lol.**

 **This is actually yet another present fic, [severely overdue present fic because I am a lazy piece of shit who procrastinated a LOT. This one goes out to my dear friend DaydreamFox, who has been waiting for months Again I am sorry lol, but I'll stop stalling you.**

 **Song / Movie: Strangers Like Me - Tarzan  
**

 **Pairing: AcexNami**

 **Summary: Ace is new… to everything.**

 **Warnings: Unbeta'd**

 **I own nothing in regards to One Piece nor any referenced media.**

* * *

A terribly loud crash followed by the distressed cries of the horses woke Nami from her slumber. However, instead of freezing in fear at the foreign noises, Nami jumped out of bed and took the first weapon she could into her hands, which happened to be the lightning rod she kept around for storm season.

As quietly as she could, Nami slipped out of her room, and surveyed the house. Nothing was disturbed and everything seemed to be in it's place. Her hazel eyes went over to the fake air vent and made a note to check her savings after she dealt with the threat outside.

Slowly, Nami crossed the dew coated lawn, her bare feet padding silently across the wet grass as she neared the stables where the horses were still neighing.

Step by step she came closer to the structure until she was right before the stable door. Nami gulped back her uneasiness and took a deep breath before taking the knob into her hands and frowning when she noted that it was strangely warm.

Leaving that thought to be dealt with later on, she pushed forward and peered into the darkened stable.

Nothing.

And yet she couldn't shake away the feeling that there was something amiss in the stables; she also couldn't very well leave with the horses in a panic. Nami walked further into the barn needing to know that the coast was clear before she could move on to soothe the horses.

The cool stone underneath was luckily cleaned from any straw from her earlier chores, so Nami was extremely grateful to her past self for the lack of straw sticking to the bottom of her feet. What she was not grateful for, however, was the random horseshoe that she stubbed her toe on.

Nami hissed out a curse and immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, listening for anything or anyone that might have heard her, but the horses managed to cover up her mistake, even if they were more quiet now.

Nothing moved immediately and Nami took another step, careful to go around the horseshoe. And it was in that moment that the broomstick toppled over and Nami shrieked.

Her shout stirred the intruder though as more things fell and caused a further rukus, clanks and crashes echoed throughout the stables until finally everything settled into an uneasy all engulfing silence.

Nami swallowed hard, her hold on the lightning rod tightened and she rose it higher as she dared to walk further into the barn.

"Who are you and what are you doing here? There's nothing but horses here and only enough money for small repairs in the house, if you walk out now and leave I promise I won't swing." Nami called out, her eyes darting back and forth all over the stables.

No answer came to her from the shadows and Nami began to have a sneaking suspicion that perhaps her intruder was not someone out to rob her blind but a scared animal that sought out shelter. Still, Nami was willing to give whatever it was the benefit of the doubt to come out when she gave them a chance. So Nami counted slowly down from ten.

She reached zero and still nothing.

"Okay don't say I didn't warn you." she muttered and followed the chaos, becoming more and more convinced that the interloper was a little vermin rather than a thief.

Relief began to ease her muscles, though they were still tense. The horses too had calmed down and were snorting in the background providing a small sense of comfort to Nami. Surely the horses wouldn't be calm if there was danger present, animal intuition and all that.

Nami hoped it really was nothing to worry about, she hoped it was a little raccoon or opossum. Preferably the former though, because opossums gave her the creeps, what with their spitting and hissing; not to mention their notoriety of playing dead. One encounter with those dreadful things was enough, thank you.

Nami reached the end of the trail and promptly frowned, there was no intruder, no raccoon, opossum, dog, or even cat to speak of. Speaking of pets though, maybe she should invest in guard dog or two after this incident; perhaps it was time for her to make a decision on that.

Nami wondered if the troublemaker had slipped out while she was searching, she couldn't say for sure, but she was glad that there wasn't a bandit in her stables.

With that calming thought, Nami sighed in relief and finally let her shoulders slump and hoisted the rod onto her shoulder.

"Now let's get you two settled in for bed again." she murmured to the horses and made her way towards the lightswitch.

The horses of course only replied in snorts, with the occasional neigh. Nami had to smile at that, she always did when it came to her two lovelies.

A moment later saw the lights coming to life and Nami, yet again releasing another scream as a pair of gray eyes blinked back at her only a few spaces away.

The rod came down before Nami even knew she was swinging. However, instead of connecting with the stranger's head, the rod slammed against the stone floor and made the vibrations caused by the force of the swing to race up her arms.

Immediately, Nami gathered her bearings and with shaking hands she rose the lightning rod again only to pause. The boy she had tried to hit earlier was cowering in fear a few feet from her. He was hiding in the small swatch of shadows the stables provided, curled into a tight ball while holding his hands over his head protectively.

Nami approached him cautiously, bar still raised over her head in case she needed to swing again.

"Don't move! I swear to whatever deity you hold dear that I will knock your head off." she threatened and clenched the rod tighter.

The young man flinched and a small twinge of guilt rose in Nami's stomach. But even that wasn't enough for her to back down.

"What are you doing in my stable?" Nami questioned, her voice no longer as loud.

The boy, unsurprisingly, said nothing; and only then did Nami notice a certain detail.

"And where the hell are your clothes?!" she exclaimed.

Though the action only caused the young man to cower further, and to her utter disbelief, he began to glow.

Nami gasped and stepped back, but she did not drop the lightning rod; the piece of metal remained tightly held within white knuckled hands.

"H-how?" she spluttered.

Her intruder only flinched at her voice and Nami's guilt rose once more. He was scared, and she wasn't helping the situation by yelling at him, not to mention the rod she was brandishing.

Nami contemplated her choices, weighing the possibilities of hitting him over the head and knocking him out before calling the police station or?

"Gotta name?" Nami asked lowering the rod slightly, but still keeping it between her and the other.

The dark haired man said nothing, those wide gray eyes looking at Nami with such a frightened and confused expression that she finally lowered the rod fully.

"Despite what I said, I'm not going to hurt you." Nami said with a light sigh and when he didn't move she smiled gently. "If it helps, I'm sorry but you scared the crap out of me and the horses."

A silent stare was her only response, and Nami pressed her lips together in a thin line, unsure of just how to proceed with the situation. What should she do? She wondered and when a light breeze made her skin rise with goosebumps she knew what she could do; or rather attempt.

"C'mon, let's get you somewhere warmer, and see if I can find you a some clothes." Nami said in the gentlest of voices she could, extending her hand to him, slowly as to not startle him like she had the previous times before.

Gray eyes looked uncertainly from her face to her hand for a long moment before long fingers reached out hesitantly, and retracted. He repeated the action twice more before finally settling his hand in her palm.

Nami suppressed a gasp of shock when her hand touched his. His hand was unnaturally warm, not to the point where it was unbearing or uncomfortable, but enough for Nami to notice. Adding it to her list of questions for the night, she helped the stranger up and after a quick check on Belle and Mandarin, she made her way back home.

No matter what she tried, Nami could not get a single word out of the other. She had taken him into her house, given him a fresh pair of clothes that she had meant to burn a while back… they belonged to a certain red haired devil from the past. She then gave him water, which he had spent a good amount of time looking at before he gulped it down greedily and in excess, Nami had to cut him off after his fifth cup of water. The expression he gave her was puzzled and slightly betrayed, so Nami gave him a peach to eat, which he again examined before anything else.

Nami didn't know what to make of the situation. She really had no clue as to what was happening. A guy showed up out of buttfuck nowhere, seemingly mute or highly shy to the point where he refused to speak; and to top all it off, he fucking _glowed_.

Nami sighed and ran her hands through her hair, she really needed to cool down on the cursing, even if it was internally. She couldn't help it sometimes, it was her way with coping.

"Ace."

Nami's head jerked up, her gaze landing on the dark haired youth with wide gray eyes. "Excuse me?"

He blinked slowly, then his hand raised to point at himself. "Ace."

"Ace? Is that your name?"

 _Whatever you do, I'll do it too_

 _Show me everything and tell me how_

Instead of nodding though, he looked confused and Nami thought he also looked sort of miffed. He looked at his hand for a second and then pointed in her direction, "Ace?"

Nami was confused too, but soon her mind caught up with what was happening.

"Oh! Oh no, my name's Nami." she elaborated tapping a finger to her chest.

Ace, she guessed was his name, narrowed his eyes at her, his mouth moving but otherwise not saying anything she was able to hear. He gave this a couple more tries before he spoke again, "Na...mi… Nami?" it was phrased more like a question.

Nami had to smile though, but she nodded when he looked at her expectantly. "Yeah, that's right. I am Nami."

Ace beamed for a second before his smile turned to a thin line, and that puzzled look returned. "'m Ace?"

"Ace is a nice name, do you have a last name?" she asked, letting curiosity get the best of her.

"Am Ace." he stated proudly, repeating the name over a few more times. Nami prompted him to answer more questions, his last name, birthday, hometown, age, anything he could remember.

However, it seemed that that was all he was able to tell her. His name.

Eventually, though he fell silent and Nami looked over to see him nodding, eyes slipping closed only to snap back open when he came to a dangerously close encounter with the table. Nami should've guessed that he was either going to be or was sleepy, but that wasn't exactly the first thing she had taken into consideration when taking the stranger into her house. She had been too preoccupied with other aspects of his behavior. She did have a spare room though, and luckily for Ace, it was unoccupied and had been cleaned a few weeks ago.

Nami helped Ace out of his seat and explained that she was moving him to where he could rest. She wasn't able to tell if he understood her or not, but he didn't fight her guiding, nor did he protest, and she took that as a good sign.

Five minutes later, he was tucked into bed and she had turned off most of the lights, leaving the one on the hallway on in case he needed to relieve himself of the gallon of water he had drank earlier.

Nami herself couldn't make herself go back to sleep, she just couldn't wrap her mind around the whole situation. There were so many questions in her mind for her to get a good night's sleep. And she wasn't entirely sure if she could sleep soundly with whoever that was only a few feet away.

Nami didn't know a single thing about Ace, other than that being his name, probably; what if he was some escaped convict and was waiting for the opportune moment to kill her in her sleep? Nami knew the idea was far fetched, but she couldn't dismiss the possibility after that night long horror movie marathon she had had with Law and Nojiko a couple of weeks back.

Ace looked earnest enough, in his confusion, his… uncertainty about things. He seemed like someone who had woken from a dream to find out that he was now amongst things that he had never known, and the way that he spoke, well it just reminded Nami of curious children.

The night passed by Nami in slow progression and by morning break she was back on her feet after a quick shower and change of clothes. She managed to scrounge up another set of mix matched clothes for Ace from her _burn_ pile and set them at the foot of his bed before starting breakfast.

She sighed when she looked into the refrigerator and took stock of the cabinets, she hadn't been expecting much company so she had neglected going to the store earlier that week. Nami cursed under her breath and after placing on her apron, she got to work, placing all of her culinary skills to the test.

Nami was in the middle of flipping the second stack of pancakes when the same voice from the previous night spoke. "Thank you."

Nami, although startled, managed to catch the pancake before it fell to the floor and looked up to see the man from earlier that night standing sheepishly at the door.

"You're… welcome. Hungry?" She asked and motioned to the variety of dishes she had prepared: scrambled eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Food! Yes!" he said with a wide smile as he looked over everything and then looked back at Nami. "But what is it?"

Nami bit the inside of her cheek before she blurted out, _you're kidding, right?_ Instead she nodded and turned the pan off, settling the last batch of pancakes on the table. "Breakfast, you know eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, and orange juice, or would you like some water?"

Ace nodded along to her pointing finger and repeated the foods and drink. "Okay, and no, I want to see what a color tastes like."

"A color?" Nami asked and snorted not maliciously so, "No, not orange as in the color. Orange as in the fruit." she explained and pulled an orange from the basket she had picked that morning.

"Like these." she said and tossed one over to him, which he caught effortlessly and looked it over before sniffing at it cautiously.

"I see. Oranges are fruits too." Ace muttered and glanced over at Nami, a light blush tinting his cheeks as he ducked his head, hiding behind the unruly mass of dark hair. "You have questions, I can… see them? Maybe _see_ isn't the right word, more like I know they're there.. If that makes any sense."

 _It all means something_

 _And yet nothing to me_

"None, actually." Nami confessed and motioned to a stool for him to sit on. "But you aren't wrong, I do have questions, which you can try to answer over breakfast. Starting with who are you, Ace?"

Ace shuffled over to where Nami was and took a seat. "I'm Ace." he said with a grin and began to pile his plate.

"We established that already, but that's not what I meant. I just found you last night in the…" Nami trailed off as she saw Ace effectively stuff three pancakes down his throat and continue eating as if nothing was odd about the action. "Were you on drugs?"

Ace paused, a fork full of ham a few inches from his mouth as he leveled his gaze to Nami's. "Drugs?"

"You were naked in my horse stable, you had no idea where you were, and you weren't exactly this articulate. Hell, the only thing you could tell me was that Ace was your name, and now you're eating as if this is the last meal you'll ever have. If you were on drugs it's on you man, personally I'm not gonna tell you it's fine or bad, but maybe whatever trip you had is still going." Nami explained before taking a sip of her orange juice.

Ace's fork lowered and settled eerily silent on the plate. "Drugs don't sound good, are they fruits too?"

Nami sighed and set her head down on her open palm. "Do you seriously not know wha–No, drugs aren't fruits, but fine. Let's say for a moment that I believe you don't know what drugs are, or orange juice, or breakfast for that matter. Then what do you know? How did you end up in my barn? Where did you come from?"

"I know that I'm Ace..." He started and when Nami looked up again, she saw he was intensely focused on his plate. "And... Nami?"

Nami hummed in question. But when Ace didn't continue, she sighed and answered verbally. "Yes, Ace?"

"Why don't I know anything?" he asked so lowly that she was almost unsure if she had heard him right and when he didn't take any other initiative to speak, Nami decided that she had in fact heard those words

 _I can see there's so much to learn_

 _It's all so close and yet so far_

"Your guess is as good as mine at this point really, but there must be _something_ you remember?" Nami pressed, going on to add, "Friends, family? Last name at the very least."

When Ace looked down at his food again, Nami knew that there were no answers in his mind, he was as clueless as to who Ace really was as she was.

"Well, think on it. We don't need to talk about that now. Tell you what, since it looks like you have no place to go I'll let you stay _on_ the condition that you help me out with a few things, deal?"

Ace glanced up from his meal, swallowing the last of his food, his gray eyes blinked thoughtfully before he asked, "Does this mean I am home?"

"Why would–This isn't–" Nami stuttered becoming suddenly flustered with the look he was giving her. She _couldn't_ bring herself to say 'no' exactly, but she was also unwilling to tell this complete stranger that he could make her home his too.

"Do you want seconds?" she asked instead pushing her unfinished plate towards him, which he took gratefully and relieved her from his intense stare.

* * *

 _I see myself as people see me_

 _Oh, I just know there's something bigger out there_

After his second meal, Nami found him some boots and lead Ace outside to where she began to instruct him on their cores for the morning.

Ace marvelled at the person before him, paying more attention to what she was showing him in her demonstration than what she was saying.

"Now you try it." the words brought Ace back to full attention as he looked from her hazel eyes down to the pointed thing she was holding out to him. After a pause Ace's hand reached out and took the wooden pole into his grasp. It was heavier than he had anticipated, but not overly so, he was able to wield it without a problem. Ace held the pointed side to the floor and did as he was shown, mimicking the way Nami had used the tool to scoop up the hay on the barn's floor.

"Very good, now you keep doing that while I get the fresh hay, okay?" Nami broke him out of his rhythm for a moment and Ace smiled, nodding in agreement. As soon as he saw that Nami was satisfied with his answer, Ace went back to work.

 _I wanna know, can you show me_

 _I wanna know about these_

 _strangers like me_

The day dragged on in this sort of pattern, Nami showed him around the place he had woken up in–which she called a barn–and the surrounding area where more things needed to be done. She explained things to Ace, such as what a hammer was, the types of vegetables and fruits she grew on the farm and she introduced him to the creatures that were making all the noises the previous night. With a light in her hazel eyes, Nami introduced Ace to Mandarin and Belle–which she called an American paint horse and a gray Spotted Shire horse.

Ace looked over the creatures she called horses and though he knew nothing about the species she identified them as, he decided that they were fairly similar, even if one was significantly taller and stockier. Horses, Ace decided were animals he liked.

 _Tell me more, please show me_

 _Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

Ace didn't remember anything on that day. Nor the next where they visited a thing Nami called a market. If Ace was amazed with the farm and all it had to offer the day before, he was blown away with everything he witnessed at the open space where people walked from one booth to another and looked over fruits, vegetables, meat, tools he had learned to use and others he had no idea what to do with.

Ace asked many questions, and Nami answered as patiently as she could, though she did get frustrated from time to time, but all in all she took the time to explain things to Ace. Her lessons went from trivial topics like what purpose showers served to what a day, week, and month were.

Ace's perception of time was not like Nami's, he had learned over the time he had spent with her. The changes in the sky she called day and night seemed to pass him in the blink of an eye, and before he knew it he had been staying with Nami for over a period of time she called a month.

Thirty days and as many nights also didn't help Ace's memory conundrum. He still couldn't recall any details of himself, other than the fact that he was someone named Ace. And when Nami questioned him as to why he didn't know simple things such as what a pen and the alphabet were, Ace had no answers. Imagine his surprise when he learned that everything he could say vocally could also be translated to paper.

Ace mastered the english alphabet in an afternoon and Nami was stunned, he could feel it. But she was also weirdly proud of him, which made Ace elated. And on that day he glowed again.

 _Every gesture, every move that she makes_

 _Makes me feel like never before_

Nami was as tough as she was sweet, when Ace ate too much, she solded him. And when he did things he was not supposed to, like take his shirt off in town and the open market, she hit that back of his head in a gesture that both hurt and made him laugh. He knew there was no malicious intent in the gesture, so Ace always felt safe with Nami, despite the small flares of temper.

Nami became a constant in Ace's life, and he in hers. And soon, Ace felt like he had known Nami for most of his life, he was aware that his sentiment was an odd feeling. But he also knew there was truth to his emotion. There was something about Nami that just drew him in, her laugh, voice, smile, her eyes, and the way she tended to her two horses as well as the other domesticated animals on the farm was just so soothing to Ace. It was warm and inviting and he found himself observing Nami for unknown amounts of time.

At night too when she slept, Ace would listen in on her emotions, finding her peaceful slumber comforting. He himself didn't sleep as regularly as she did. Instead he dropped out of consciousness in random intervals, which caused worry in Nami. Later she told him she suspected he had narcolepsy, a somewhat common disorder in people that made them sleep randomly. Ace had shrugged and told her not to worry, he was fine and he supposed his body needed rest from time to time, so a few minutes of this narcolepsy wasn't so bad.

 _Why do I have_

 _This growing need to be beside her_

It was Ace's turn to brush out Belle's mane and coat one afternoon, the large brush was bigger than his hand but it was perfect for the huge draft horse.

Ace slid the dandy brush along the gray coated frame of the animal and settled into his little routine. When Ace brushed out either Belle or Mandarin he tended to get so caught up on the act that he forgot nearly everything around him, and tuned into the calming thoughts of the horse.

The horses exuded a light pleasant feeling when they were brushed. Belle especially, they were both well tempered horses but Belle was more gentle than his barn mate. Ace could spend afternoons just brushing away at the horse, and Belle never minded, he liked both the attention and the routine. And Ace could see why, since their sessions always left the horse with a cleaner coat and helped Belle rid himself of the excess fur.

And it was like this that someone found him, Ace murmuring softly to the horse in a soothing tone as the dandy brush stroked along the horse's broad sturdy shoulders.

"A-ha! So _you're_ the mysterious stranger I've heard next to nothing about." An unfamiliar voice had Ace jumping in place to spin and come face to face with a woman with light blue hair and an unnerving gaze.

Unnerved by the intrusion in his space, Ace took a few steps back from the woman, who thankfully remained where she was, but the expectant look remained in her eyes, questioning and imploring in a way that made Ace rather uncomfortable.

"So, what's your story guy? Broken home, abusive parents, drug abuse, theft, public menace, anger issues perhaps?" she asked with a quirked brow.

"I… n-excuse me?" Ace managed out which apparently seemed to be the wrong response to answer with.

"I'm asking what your deal is. What is your damage?" Her eyes narrowed and Belle snorted behind Ace as he too felt the tension rise around him.

"I'm… fine?" Ace said more in question than anything, unsure of just how to respond to the hostile situation he was finding himself in.

The blue haired woman snorted, her teal eyes unwavering as she took a step forward and he took a step back, pressing firmly onto Belle's side. Ace wasn't sure what was unfolding between him and the strange woman before him, but she was regarding him with a fierce look he was not at all comfortable with as she sized him up, looked him over from head to toe until her eyes finally settled on his.

"You certainly are her type you know, well built. A couple years older than her. But you don't quite fit the bill until you fess up what you're hiding. How are you broken? Nami has a weakness for your type, you know. The guys that she thinks she can fix up and put back together. So c'mon, what's wrong with you?" the woman asked after a long pause.

Ace, however, was unsure of just what to say, much less do in the situation he found himself in. No one in the village ever looked at him the way this person was analyzing him, and sure they had asked about where he came from and all that before, but never like this. Ace wasn't broken… was he?

"I…" Ace's hand was clutching the dandy brush tighter with every passing second, his mind spinning as he tried to find a possible way that he could respond the way Nami had taught him.

 _Be nice to others_ she had said, _Do unto others as you would have them do unto you._ Be nice to your friends and your neighbors, and everyone. That was the lesson Nami had taught him, but he had never experienced this with Nami, this unpleasantness, this feeling of… oddness. Ace didn't like it.

"You what?" She snapped impatiently and the dandy brush in Ace's hand creaked with the pressure it was being forced to endure.

"I swear to you that if you are taking advantage of my little sister by making her take care o–"

"Nojiko?" Nami's voice made the stranger look away from Ace and that was all he needed in order to escape her pinning gaze.

Ace bolted, the brush and horse abandoned where he had stood seconds ago. He had heard Nami call after him in the distance, but Ace was… he didn't like the new woman. He was _scared_ , just as he had been so long ago when he met Nami.

* * *

"Guy sure can run." Nojiko noted, hands crossing across her chest.

"What did you say to him?" Nami asked whirling in her sister's direction after watching Ace retreat.

Nojiko shrugged a shoulder. "Same as all the others, what do they want with my baby sister. It's not my fault he's skittish."

Nami resisted the urge to groan. Nojiko couldn't have known that Ace was still rather new with people even after so many months of living together. And though he did enjoy meeting new people, no one in town came on as strong as her sister did when it came to Nami.

"It isn't like that, Nojiko. Ace is just…" Nami paused, not quite sure of what word to use in order to describe Ace's strange behavior. After some thought, she settled on. "Sensitive."

"Is that what you're calling them now?" Nojiko sighed, her arms loosening but not lowering. "When will you learn that you can't fix them all Nami, remember what happened with Kid?"

"How can I forget?" Nami snorted rolling her eyes, "But this isn't the same as Kid, Kid was an asshole I never should have looked twice at. Ace is nothing like him, he's different."

"Really now," Nojiko was unimpressed. "Is that what he told you? Did he also promise you the same thing as _them_?"

Nami frowned and broke eye contact in order to pick up the discarded dandy brush from where Ace had dropped it and continued to brush Belle, who was starting to become agitated with the hostility around him.

"He didn't tell me anything Nojiko, I just know he's different okay? He isn't like the other guys I have been with, he isn't like Sanji, Lucci, or Absalom and he is certainly nothing like Kid." Nami said as she turned her back to her sister and began to brush Belle where Ace left off.

"How?" Nojiko demanded and Nami had a sneaking suspicion that she would have rounded Belle if the horse wasn't so tall. "How is he any different from Kid and the rest?"

"Just trust me Nojiko." Nami breathed.

But it seemed like her sister wasn't about to back down just yet.

"Nami," Nojiko started, tone softening. "Sweetie, your heart is just too big for your own good. You always manage to find a guy who is jaded and hurting and for some reason you place it on yourself to try and fix them. And while I admit that you have helped some people get back onto their feet, it isn't healthy. They have taken advantage of your kindness before, what makes you think that this one guy is different? Tell me the reasoning behind your judgement and I might just back off."

"Well first off. We aren't even romantically involved." Nami said after a pause. "And I know what I do, let's hop off memory lane shall we. I know that I shouldn't have gotten wrapped up in Kid and Absalom and the others, but I'm not dating Ace, I just took him in.

"That night I found him in the barn, you should have seen it Nojiko, he was scared. He didn't have a clue as to where he was. I even took him to get checked out, he was clean, no drugs in his system. Genzo thinks that he suffered from amnesia or something, he can't remember anything but his name, no relatives friends, addresses, his mind is blank in all of that. And it's kind of hard to believe because he's smart, like unbelievably smart, do you know how many languages he has been able to learn in the past couple of months." Nami informed her sister and when she looked up she was surprised to see Nojiko regarding her with an odd look.

"So, you're telling me he just showed up here, no wallet, no phone? Nothing?" Nojiko pressed.

Nami gave a tired sigh, glancing away from her sister to tend to Belle. "None, we even published an ad asking if anyone knows anything, so far we haven't had any luck. And that's why he's staying Nojiko, because he needs a home, somewhere he can feel safe."

"Just like we did." Nojiko murmured, and Nami knew that she had won her sister over, at least for the meantime.

"Okay fine." Nojiko spoke up again, "I see your point and though I am not 100% aboard the idea that a total stranger stays here with you, I'll support your decision…" she relented and then tilted her head to the side in question. "Think he's smarter than Law?"

Nami grinned, "I'd bet on it."

"I'd have to see that to believe it, any idea where he ran off to?"

Nami hummed and instead of offering up the information, she tossed Nojiko the dandy brush. "I have a clue, but let me talk to him first, he's not used to… intense conversations."

Nojiko opened her mouth to protest, but after a second, she relented and sighed, "Okay, fine. I'll finish up here, tell him I'm sorry."

Nami smiled and gave her sister a nod.

* * *

When Nami found Ace he was on the second level of the barn, a worn and weathered dictionary on his lap.

The book was open to a particular page, and Ace had re-read the definition over a dozen times.

"Broken; adjective, having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order. Or it can be relating to a relationship that has been terminated. Or to a promise that has not been upheld by one or more participating parties. Disrupted or divided. And it can relate to a person, who has given up all hope; a person who is despairing." Ace looked up to Nami when she approached, her emotions were unclear and hard for him to read in that moment, but he was able to pick out one above all of them; concern.

"Am I broken Nami?" Ace asked, "Am I fractured or damaged? Because I feel fine, and I am not despaired… am I?"

Nami sighed and after a moment she sat next to Ace. "No Ace, you're not broken, fractured or damaged, and you are definitely not hopeless. You're just…" she sighed.

"That was Nojiko," Nami changed tactics. "She's my older sister, and she was just being overprotective of things. I told her I had a guest when I spoke to her the other day, and since I don't always have a great choice of company she thought it would be a good idea to check up on me and scare you in the process. I'm sorry about that Ace, are you okay?"

Ace took in the information he was given and did his best to comprehend it. He remembered Nami talking about Nojiko before, her sister. And sisters were people that belonged to your family, like mothers, fathers, and brothers. That of course had prompted a series of questions from Ace who wondered if he had any family. Nami didn't have an answer and later on confirmed that she and Ace were not related.

"If I'm not broken then I guess I'm okay. What was your company like?" Ace asked glancing to Nami and away from his book.

Nami didn't answer and Ace could feel that she was struggling with the answer. Hurt, shame, and anger whirled in her emotions and Ace didn't know what he could do to make them vanish.

 _Ooo, these emotions I never knew_

 _Of some other world far beyond this place_

"They weren't good people," Nami finally said, "my _friends_ were people that were not nice and they hurt others."

Ace was having enough trouble with wrapping his head around the entire concept of that day's event and adding this new conundrum to the mix was by no means helping him out. What did bad people have to do with him? "But you're nice, why would you be friends with bad people... Did they hurt you?"

Nami gave Ace a faint smile and shook her head. "That was in the past, I am no longer friends with those people so they can't hurt me. Nojiko is just being cautious, really. Did she scare you?"

Ace believed Nami when she said she was no longer in contact with the people who were not nice to her, but her avoidance of his question to her being hurt left a hole in the pit of his stomach that he did not like. Ace didn't push the matter, though, he could tell that the subject was not an easy one for Nami and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her.

Instead Ace nodded to her question. "I was afraid, and confused. Nojiko said I was broken, but I don't _feel_ broken and you say I'm not. So then what am I?"

Nami smiled softly and hummed at Ace's question. "You're just you silly. You're fine, a little lost still, but in good health. Would you like to come out and let Nojiko apologize, she realized what she said was not nice and she would like to say she's sorry."

Ace did not like the prospect of going outside of the barn and actively going in search of Nami's sister, but he could feel the small glimmer of hope within Nami. She wanted Ace to meet her sister and for them to get along. And Ace wanted to make Nami happy again, he wanted to get her spirits up again and see her smile once more. So Ace swallowed his uneasiness and nodded slowly. "Okay."

 _Beyond the trees, above the clouds_

 _I see before me a new horizon_

* * *

Neither Ace nor Nojiko had taken to each other quickly after that, it took several meetings before they were able to be comfortable around one another, particularly in Ace's case. During her first few visits, he would often hide behind Nami, speak only when he needed to, and when Nojiko made eye contact with him, Ace would get nervous and often flee the scene.

Soon enough Ace had gained confidence in himself, and he relied less and less on Nami when it came to social interactions with others. Well, that didn't include his first introduction to her brother, Law. Now that had been another frightening meeting altogether.

And as his confidence grew, Ace was able to go to the market by himself and was trusted to stay on track with his chores without Nami needing to tell him what to do. Ace really was beginning to feel like he was part of the small community he had been adopted into long ago, even if he still didn't know where he had come from.

 _I wanna know, can you show me_

 _I wanna know about these strangers like me_

That particular information still eluded both him and everyone in the town. The people had reached out to the nearby islands in search of information and even the larger city that was a few hours away from their coast, but nothing arose. There were no news reports of a missing teen that matched his description.

Ace had seemed to appear out of nowhere with no past or memories. He had simply stepped out of thin air and though he knew it puzzled Nami he couldn't explain it. Ace had no memories of his prior life.

At least he hadn't until some time later.

Two years had passed since his arrival on Nami's farm, and in that time Ace had learned so many things. He had learned of the advancement of people and society, he had sampled every language he could get his hands on, and he had tested the waters of every subject the local school taught–Nami enrolled him in classes since he had been unable to tell her things people his age should know.

Ace had grasped each subject well enough, and some better than others, mathematics was simple enough until you reached a certain level, and science was interesting as well, but there were too many branches that just didn't catch his attention the way astrology did. Literature was fun as well, but Ace was quick to lose focus and let his mind wander away from the text. He excelled at foreign languages, but he really didn't pursue a single one to focus on. Social studies was his least favorite, learning about the ways of the world was interesting in it's own right, but learning of the dark side of humanity was no fun at all. And his overall favorite subject became something they called art classes.

Ace and his professor at the time found that he had a natural talent. So Ace honed in on that skill, and that became his primary concern when he was in his classes, and pretty soon he was incorporating his love of astrology in his pieces.

When Ace had learned what was apparently sufficient for someone of his age, he took a test that gave him a document that said he was well learned. Nami had explained that with that piece of paper he could become whatever he wanted to be.

"Can I stay here with you?" Ace asked when she had told him that.

Nami had looked stunned and her cheeks had gained that soft pink tone as she often did when Ace said something that she seemed to–well to be honest, Ace hadn't exactly figured out why her cheeks seemed to glow with pink. Maybe she glowed like he did? Even though she often said that she didn't glow in the same way he did, she often told him that his glow was special and he shouldn't show it to others because then they would ask questions neither of them could answer.

Ace had of course complied, he would do anything for his best friend, and as long as he didn't get too overly excited about things, Ace didn't glow.

To be quite honest, he only glowed in front of Nami, and that was when he was feeling particularly strong emotions.

"Of course you can." Nami interjected his thoughts, "I just meant that you could now try to apply for college or a university or something to get a degree in something you want to learn."

"But, I like it here, I would like to stay here… if that's okay." Ace asked, from what he had learned of college and university was that they were larger schools and institutions that taught people essential skills for certain job fields, but more often than not they required relocation. And seeing as to how the island had no such institutes, Ace was not particularly fond of the idea of leaving Nami to be surrounded by a million strangers.

"That would be entirely okay Ace." Nami assured him and smiled, "Belle and Mandarin would miss you alot if you left too."

Ace beamed at that, he had become close to the horses in his time with Nami and them, and he still very much enjoyed taking care of them and giving them their daily brushes, so of course he would miss them too, but there was something that was bugging him too.

"Would you miss me, Nami?" Ace asked softly.

The pink glow returned to Nami's face and she was quick to answer. "Of course, you dork! Why wouldn't I miss you? You've… I really care about you Ace, we all do."

"Then this is where I will stay." Ace declared with a smile that rivaled even the sun. "Because I care about you too Nami, and I would really miss you, and Mandarin and Belle. Even Nojiko, Law, and old man Genzo."

Ace was surprised with a hug after that, but he returned it happily, glowing softly as he did so.

 _Tell me more, please show me_

 _Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

"Ace?" Nami asked as she peeked out of the attic window, looking for the freckled man, "Are you out here again?"

Ace turned his head away from the night sky where the stars twinkled back at him, one in particular burning brighter than the rest. "Yes, I'm here." he answered after a minute.

Nami didn't answer him, instead she climbed out of the window and onto the roof where he was sitting, and took a seat next to him, "Whatcha doing up here all alone, dinner's gonna get cold and someone has to eat it you now."

"I know. I'm sorry I should have known it was earlier." Ace apologized somberly.

The tone must've taken Nami by surprise, because her own voice softened when she spoke next. "Hey Ace, don't worry about it, dinner is no big deal, we can heat it up when you're ready. Are you okay?"

Ace turned away from the sky and looked down to the person he had come to care deeply about. His constant companion in the new life he had been give. "I'm fine." he murmured and looked away, down to where the barn was.

 _Come with me now to see my world_

 _Where there's beauty beyond your dreams_

"Nami, would you hate me if I wasn't like you?"

Nami didn't answer, at least not right away, and that alone scared Ace, though he was not so eager to admit it, silence between them was usually not so bad, but when he was anxious, it seemed to stretch on forever and that gnawed on his nerves. It was quickly becoming too much, this unresponsive atmosphere, that he almost took it back, but before he could a soft smack landed on his head.

"Don't scare me like that Ace. You dork, you aren't like me or anyone else I know, no one's the same here or anywhere. I thought we went over that the longest time ago? No two people are the same. Where is this coming from, Ace?" she asked while she pulled her legs closer to herself and settled her chin on her raised knees.

Ace absently ran a hand along the soft tap to his head, it hadn't hurt or anything like that, but he wanted something to occupy his hands as he deliberated how to string along his next words. There was no evading it, and if he put it off, it wouldn't feel right to him. So Ace opted to tell her the truth. "I remembered something."

Nami didn't cuff him again, but she also didn't jump up in glee. Ace hadn't known how she would react, really he just wished that she wouldn't abandon him for what he was, that was all he asked. "What do you remember?"

The question was simple and to the point, Ace had to admire that for a second before he looked back up to the stars, avoiding looking at Nami.

"I'm not from this island, or the planet really."

 _Can you feel the things I feel_

 _Right now, with you_

Silence returned between them and Ace dared to look at Nami again, but it was she who was looking at the stars then.

"Tell me?" She asked, "What you remember, I mean."

"It sounds ridiculous, I'm not even sure it's possible." Ace said, losing the slightest bit of courage as he thought about the memories that until that point stopped being hazy and became a part of him.

"Ace," Nami smiled softly, "nothing about the last two years has been remotely possible. Your sudden appearance for starters, and then there's the fact that you glow, and are able to just _sense_ feelings, which is still weird by the way. Not to mention that you're basically a linguistic genius. For someone who had no prior knowledge of languages you are pretty darn good at it now, and dude have you seen your list of accomplishments? Nothing about it is normal, but that's okay." She had turned to look at Ace by that point, offering him an encouraging smile.

 _Take my hand_

 _There's a world I need to know_

Ace smiled gratefully and let the tension slip out of his shoulders, Nami's words eased his uncertainty and the sincerity he felt radiating off of her gave him the light push he needed. "I was born as a star." he whispered, letting it sink into her as well as himself.

 _I wanna know, can you show me_

 _I wanna know about these strangers like me_

The images played before his eyes as he retold his story. "While I was in a literature class, we came across an old myth that said people thought that their ancestors died and were reborn as the stars above. Other lore says that the Gods were the ones that made the stars and they were meant to represent history's greatest heroes. And science says that stars are nothing more than burning balls of gas burning millions of lightyears away. Truth is, there is no real lore to them, or a way to explain what they are. Stars aren't people, they are… guardians in a way. We watch over people from above, that's where the myth of wishing upon a star came to be. A person from this planet wished on someone up there, and that star heard their desire and helped them out. We can't grant every wish, unfortunately, there is only so much we can do. I see now why languages are easy to me. How can they not be when you travel the world every day." Ace smiled sheepishly.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here…" Nami mused. "Did someone wish for you to be here? Were you supposed to grant someone's wish in the time you were here? And what happens when you fulfill that wish, Ace? Will you be returning to…?" She trailed off and looked to the sky above them once more.

 _Tell me more, please show me_

 _Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

"No." Ace said softly, "No one wished me here, I actually," he rubbed the back of his head once again. "I'm not leaving Nami, well at least I hope I won't. But I suppose that depends on you."

"Me?" Nami asked, confusion lacing her voice as she looked to Ace. "Why would that depend on me?"

"Because, I fell for you." Ace said.

Nami stared at Ace for a long moment before her face lit up, not pink but red this time and she delivered yet another cuff to his head. "Quit messing around Ace!"

Ace laughed, rubbing at his head again, "I'm not messing around Nami, I mean it. No one wished on me, I wished on myself, because I wanted to get to know you. It gets lonely up there you know, yeah there's other stars but as time goes on, we drift from one another and then we are all alone in our sectors of the universe. And in the time that I was up there, I met you once. Well, sort of." he smiled softly.

"It was one summer before the barn incident, you were brushing Mandarin and you looked just as lonely as I was. I wanted to help, and I hoped that you would make a wish to make the loneliness go away. But you didn't. You seemed resigned to being alone up here, just you the horses and trees. So I wished upon myself to fall and… well you know the rest."

Nami was silent for a good minute before she sighed, "And what exactly were you hoping you'd accomplish?"

Ace took a moment to think on her question. "I was hoping that I could get rid of the loneliness in your life, and that you would have an easier time smiling. And you do now, you smile more Nami." Ace gave her his biggest smile.

"And since I'm being honest here, I wanted to see you smile too."

"What about being a star or whatever, aren't you going to miss that?"

Ace hummed and glanced at the stars before looking back to Nami. "Honestly, not as much as you'd think. Traveling the world doesn't compare to actually living in it. I have seen the world many times over, enough to have my fill, but this small island outshines that experience. It has been confusing, getting used to being a human, but it has also been very rewarding. I _–_ " Ace paused and took notice of his faint glow. "I love being here."

Nami smiled, relief radiating off of her and enveloping Ace in comfort. "I'm glad you're here too Ace, and that you love it here."

"Can I stay Nami?"

Nami reached out a hand and took Ace's into hers gently, allowing him to pull away at any moment he wished. He didn't.

"Of course you can stay. I want you to stay here, Ace. This is your home."

 _...I wanna know_

* * *

 **Bonus:**

Gold eyes glared in Ace's direction as a stranger with dark markings on his arms looked him over, his face unkind and seemingly tired.

"So," the man broke his silence, snapping Ace out of the trance caused by his eyes. Gold; who would have thought that was possible, then again Ace glowed sometimes so who was he to say anything. "You're the guy I've heard so much about. Ace, I presume, I am Law Trafalgar."

Ace took the hand that was offered to him and shook it with little hesitance. "Nice to meet you Law, I am Ace. How are you?"

Law smiled slowly and pulled his hand away after shaking Ace's, "I'm doing quite fine thank you for asking. I see my dear sister has finally picked one up with manners, how quaint. And you, Ace, how are you doing?"

Law's smile was odd to Ace, it was small and although not completely unsettling, it was definitely weird. The smile spoke of secret joke, something only he was privy to and wasn't willing to share with the world. But there was something else that was weird about him too.

Ace couldn't quite put his finger on it, but Law was definitely odd. In an attempt to grab a better understanding of things, Ace reached out and sought for a clue about what the other was feeling, only to come to a halt. Ace tilted his head slightly, his eyes brightening with curiosity as he probed a little harder and came up with the same empty results.

Law was a blank slate. There were no feelings for Ace to tune into, not even an inkling of emotion was available for Ace to grasp. That was definitely a first for Ace. He wondered how Law was able to hide his feelings so well, and briefly entertained the idea that Law knew of his ability, but Ace quickly set set those thoughts aside and returned the smile all the same. "I'm good too."

Law's eyes narrowed slightly, but the action was masked when he took his cup of tea and sipped.

Ace chewed on one of the cookies he and Nami had baked earlier that morning as he waited for Law to pick up the conversation again.

"I'm not a huge conversationalist." Law said suddenly, after setting his drink down. "Nami and Nojiko were always far more talkative, but I suppose you must've caught onto that by now."

Ace nodded, recalling the blue haired woman and her visits. "Nojiko is fun when she visits, she showed me how to play poker. She's scary good at it."

Law chuckled. "Yes, both of them are. They'll play you out of house and home those two, tell me what did she wager."

"Wager?" Ace asked with a tilt of his head. Wager was a more formal way of saying 'bet' and a bet was something that was risked in favor to an outcome of a game or event.

"Yes, wager. What did she put up for grabs during your game?" Law asked taking another sip of tea.

"We didn't bet." Ace gave a small shrug of his shoulder. "We just played until it was time to help with dinner."

"So you help Nami with dinner as well?"

Ace smiled and nodded eagerly. "Yeah, when Nami is making food and I'm not looking after Mandarin and Belle I help her with it. We both need to eat , so it's only fair that we both help with the cooking and dishes after."

Law hummed, but said nothing more on the matter and took a cookie himself, biting into it and chewing on it as he mulled over the information. "Where did you say you were from again?"

"I didn't?" Ace frowned momentarily and raised a shoulder yet again before dropping it in a shrug. "We haven't figured that out yet, Nami said I could stay until I remember though."

"So she does like you." Law hummed. "That's interesting to say the least. And you, Ace. What is your end game here? Why not seek your past while traveling, how will staying in a constant environment where the probability of a memory trigger to help you out are slim to none?"

Ace was caught like a deer in the headlights by Law's golden eyes as they searched his own for something he didn't quite understand.

It was like with Nojiko's first meeting all over again and Ace wanted to bolt _again_ , but he knew that unlike Nojiko Law might actually give chase. There was a sort of fierceness in Law that had until that point been very well hidden. It was bearing its teeth now, and it demanded answers.

"I have no where else to go." Ace finally replied. "And I like it here with Mandarin, Belle, and Nami."

"Why?"

Ace's comfort level was seriously dropping with every passing second but he stayed put and gave Law the only sincere answer he could. "I feel at home here."

For a moment it seemed that Ace had given the wrong answer, but just as quickly as the intense look had come over Law's eyes, it vanished without a trace and the man smiled pleasantly once more. "Good answer. Do keep in mind that Nami deserves nothing short of happiness in her life, and should anyone threaten that; let's just say your memory wouldn't be the only thing missing."

Ace gulped and nodded mutely.

"So, what's this I hear of your genius? Do tell me more about your schoolings." Law prompted, all earlier signs of threat erasing without a trace in sight.

* * *

 **Thought I was done? XD lol nope, Bonus #2:**

Nami poked her head into Ace's room and frowned, "Not here either."

Leaning against the doorway she looked over the contents of the room. His bed was made, clothes were off of the floor, and his shoes were missing. The desk he had bought not too long ago was the only thing that wasn't fully cleaned. The surface of the small piece of furniture was littered with pencils, markers, pens, and a few brushes.

Nami guessed that Ace must've been working on another of his projects the night before. Still, it left her no clues as to where he was now. Which was odd since he usually told her where he was off to when he left the farm.

Nami wasn't too worried though, Ace was used to the island and the people, he was able to get around without any trouble and he knew how to interact with others. He had really grown to love the island and it's people.

Walking back down to the kitchen Nami began to cut up tangerines, their juice supply was dangerously low and all the essential chores she had on her list were finished. So she began her task, all the while thinking back to the conversation she and Ace had had on the roof a few weeks ago.

It was still miraculous to think that Ace was from somewhere entirely different, a star of all things. Nami smiled as she sliced another tangerine, she still found it odd that he had gone through all the trouble of getting to her farm just to see her smile and ease the loneliness that had become a constant in her life after the mistakes she had done. But she would be lying if she said she wasn't happy for the intervention.

Nami liked having Ace around, he had been hard to get to know at first with his limited knowledge of the world and it's mundane tasks. But he had adapted to life in the village quickly, and if Nami had never known of his origins, she would have never guessed that Ace was anything but another passing tourist that decided to stay.

Hours passed and still there was no sign of the freckled man, and Nami had to admit that the house was beginning to take on a sense of loneliness that it hadn't felt in over two years. It was unsettling to say the least. Nami gave Ace another three minutes before she stormed up the stairs and into her room where she looked for her coat and boots. She was going to head out and look for Ace.

She hoped he hadn't gotten himself into any trouble, and that if he had that it wasn't anything too huge.

Nami was about to open the door when it swung open and a large...bear? sauntred in.

Nami paused in her tracks as she looked at the five foot tall bear and worked to make sense of the creature standing in her doorway. "Wha–?"

"Do you like him?" Ace asked peeking his head above the large bear and grinning at Nami.

"What do you mean? Where did you get this Ace?" Nami asked looking from the bear to Ace and becoming even more confused.

"What do you mean what do I mean? He's yours!" Ace laughed and handed the bear over to a very confused Nami as she awkwardly took the bear into her arms. The soft 'fur' of the stuffed creature was very inviting and Nami absently snuggled into the bear that was only a couple of inches shorter than herself while still very much confused.

"Ah and as to where I got 'em, Genzo took me to the big city, he said that was the only place I could find this guy and then we went over to Little Garden and I got you these!" He explained happily and presented Nami with a bouquet of eleven roses that ranged in colors of red, orange, and some yellow and tipped with red.

"Isn't it cool? It looks like fire doesn't it?" Ace beamed, "The guy at the shop said they had meanings though, and that they were supposed to say that I care about you."

Nami's mouth had formed a small _O_ of surprise, she had learned of about a flower's meanings so long ago under Bellemere's care. She had known them so well that at some point in time she could have easily told Ace what each of them signified, but the words escaped her at the moment. The shop owner was right, of course, the flowers overall stated that the giver was trying to convey feelings of caring and love.

"They're beautiful Ace." Nami whispered as she admired the roses and warmth pooled in her cheeks, "but why did you go through so much trouble?"

"Because," Ace smiled sheepishly, his cheeks too glowing, but in that special way of his. "It's the 14th and I want to ask you to be my valentine." he said and presented her with another gift.

The tone behind those words made Nami's heart race in her chest as she reached out and took the card gingerly, while holding the bear in a headlock, and looked the small card over. It dawned on her than that this must've been what Ace had worked on the previous night and was the reason behind the small clutter at his desk.

The card of course was beautiful, as well as the roses and the gigantic teddy bear; but overall Nami loved his intentions the most. "Ace, these are beautiful. Thank you, and yes I would like to be your valentine."

Ace rubbed the back of his head still glowing softly and gave her one last present. A kiss to the cheek that further demonstrated his blossoming love for her.

* * *

 **Now I'm done lol. I hope you enjoyed it and even more so I hope you let me know what you think?**

 **Show the freckled ship some love? [And by extension, the writer?]**

 **And in any case anyone was wondering, to look up what sort of horses Belle and Mandarin are, Belle is a gray Spotted Shire draft horse, and Mandarin a brown Paint Horse*  
**

 **I shall be back with another set of songfics in March, so look forward to that ;3**

 **Till next time!~**


	13. Once Upon A Dream (SaboxAce)

**Hey Guys!~ Didn't I tell you I'd be back for another round of Song Fics?**

 **Well as luck would have it, it is time for the first [I think it's the first, correct me if I'm wrong] SaboxAce week! Unfortunately I can't participate in every day of the event due to how close we are to the OPBB, but I shall tell you about that later.**

 **Song / Movie: Once Upon a Dream - Sleeping Beauty**

 **Pairing: AcexSabo [AceBo]**

 **Theme/Focus: First Impressions/Beginnings**

 **Warnings: Unbeta'd and fluff with a dash of angst.**

 **Summary: They have met before, they just didn't think that the other was real. Sabo thought that Ace was nothing more than a dream, a beautiful manifestation of his unconscious mind, but Ace was anything but a dream.**

 **I have no rights to One Piece or** _ **anything**_ **in the Disney Universe! I also own nothing in regards to any referenced media. Enjoy!~**

* * *

 _I know you_

 _I walked with you_

 _Once Upon a dream_

More often than not Sabo woke with the image of a stranger etched into the back of his eyelids. Or maybe that wasn't fair, to say that the man was a stranger that is. His name was Ace. At least that is what Sabo's dream self called the other man.

There was no definite beginning to the dreams. And it was hard for Sabo to pinpoint exactly when they had begun, but his earliest memory of those special dreams was when he was four. Sabo was having the same recurring nightmare at the time, the one where everyone in his kindergarten class would hate him.

Those dreams had always begun with his nanny adjusting his small bow at the collar of his dress shirt and making sure his shoes were tied. Right before she lead him into the unfamiliar building where he was to begin his studies in order to take over his father's business. To be honest, Sabo didn't even know what he was being groomed for yet, he was only told that he had to be on his best behavior and to make friends with the other kids. At first Sabo had thought that his parents had wanted him to have a good grade school experience, but later on discovered that it was essential to them that he make friends with people his dad could make future deals with.

Day in and day out his father took him to his office and stressed the need for Sabo to make friends with the wealthiest kids in the school, otherwise he would be no use to his father.

Such stress was too much for a small boy, and followed him into his dreams.

He was having the same dream again, and the nanny had just left him at the door of the classroom where he put his belongings away in a cubby and came face to face with the largest room space of his life. The classroom before him stretched on for miles on end, with no ending wall in sight, and within that sea _they_ were there. The other children looked at him immediately, none of their eyes friendly. But Sabo, wanting to make the head of the Outlook household proud, strode into the room and spoke to the boy closest to him.

After Sabo had said his hello and had introduced himself, the other just sneered and walked away. That started off the pattern, boy after boy, and girl after girl would look at him with disdain and disapproval, calling him mean names or not even waiting for him to finish his sentence before they dismissed him and went away.

The more people that Sabo tried to talk to, the higher the rejection until they all turned on him and told him to leave. The other kids said they didn't want him there because he was a failure, he was a joke and his father would never truly accept him at his son.

And that was when the massive shun began, it began with the first kid he spoke to, he turned his back to Sabo. And as if copying his movement, the others followed suit. Every single one of them turned their backs to Sabo casting shadow after shadow until all forms of light began to close on him.

Sabo had never been particularly afraid of the dark, but he certainly wasn't a fan of it. The more kids that turned their backs on him, the darker it became until there was nothing left. Sabo yelled for them, asked for the teacher whose name he could no longer remember. But there was nothing, Sabo couldn't even see himself when he waved his hand infront of his eyes. And pretty soon, he couldn't even hear his own cries for help.

But that had not meant someone else couldn't hear him, because out of nowhere, Sabo felt a hand in his hair.

Startled Sabo had jerked away and looked up to small freckled boy frowning down at him, his bright gray eyes alight with something Sabo could not place.

 _I know you_

 _That gleam in your eyes_

 _Is so familiar a gleam_

"Why you cryin' kid?" he had asked.

And Sabo had been too shocked to answer, and even more afraid to ask who the new kid was in case he left him behind too.

"What'sa matter, can't talk?" the kid asked, his frown still firmly in place.

When Sabo didn't say anything again, the kid sighed. "One of the shy kids huh, how 'bout I go first? My name's Ace." then he pointed at Sabo, gesturing for him to continue.

Sabo had never heard any of the other kids start off the introduction, and though he was skeptical, he was going to take it as a good sign.

Taking a deep breath, Sabo wiped at his eyes and tried a smile, "Sabo Outlook, it is a pleasure to meet you."

The frown came back to the kid. "You sound like a grown up, why are you sitting in the dark?"

Sabo sniffed and looked around, "I don't know. But I don't like it...how did you get here?"

"I followed a sound and found you, c'mon I don't like it either, let's find somewhere nicer." Ace said and stretched out a hand, his frown finally gone and a smile in its place. The smile was bright, fiery even as it seemed to banish the rest of the darkness around them. There was something about the other boy that warmed Sabo and without further hesitation, he took the offered hand.

"Thank you very much, Ace. I appreciate the help."

"You're weird." Ace said leading the way, "But I like you. Let's be friends."

And just like that the darkness left.

The next day Sabo had woken up more excited than ever and the rest of the week passed by without another nightmare before he went to his first day of school.

Unfortunately, Ace had not been there to greet him. And it wasn't until later on that Sabo had discovered that Ace was nothing more than a coping thought of his, an imaginary friend if you would.

 _Yet I know it's true_

 _That visions are seldom what they seem._

Ace was a much more constant presence in Sabo's dreams when he was younger, and whenever he was feeling troubled. But sometimes, the dreams weren't about Sabo and strangely enough revolved around Ace. Such as the time when he was grieving his mother, Sabo wouldn't have thought that dream people had any other family, but who was he to tell his dream friend any different?

 _But if I know you_

 _I know what you do._

For nights Sabo had been there for the dream boy to cry on his shoulder and had done his best to console a broken heart. Sabo's own dreamself cried for him, and slowly they were able to ease Ace's pain.

Then there were the study sessions, Ace was gifted in academics, but he had horrid teachers and they rarely taught him the right methods, so many times over Sabo had to rescue Ace during an exam and help him through his struggles. And sure enough, Ace was always there for Sabo whenever he needed to vent and escape the pressing matters that were his life. His prestigious classes were always stressing out Sabo, and Ace was always there to make him laugh. And when Sabo had doubts about living there, Ace was always quick to suggest he live with him.

And though Sabo would have loved that idea, he also knew that it was impossible. Afterall, how could he run away from home to live with a manifestation of a dream?

Though that isn't to say that all of their encounters were mundane and problematic. At times they shared adventures, where Ace was a pirate and Sabo was part of a revolutionary army, they shared a brother and sailed the seas defeating pirates and marines alike.

In others they went to school together again, and in some they lived together. Sometimes Ace was a prince, or Sabo was a king. A knight, paladin, a mage, you name it. Sabo always looked forward to sleeping because he knew that there was always the possibility that he would meet his best friend in his dream.

Even when he came to the logical and saddening realization that Ace was not real, Sabo still looked forward to all of his dreams, even if he only remembered a little less than half of them.

 _You'll love me at once_

 _The way you did once upon a dream_

How do you explain it to yourself that you have fallen in love with a fictional character? Sabo did not know. It had happened over the years that he had met Ace, they began as friends, then they became best friends, and now Sabo had fallen for the man in his dreams.

Often he wondered what his mind, let alone his heart was thinking? Sabo had seen the small boy in his dreams grow up alongside him, they knew each other's deepest fears, and their aspiring dreams.

Sabo knew that Ace was no longer in contact with his estranged father, and was out of the foster homes and living with a huge family that loved him. Sabo was glad that his mind had stopped giving Ace such a hard time, he had tried to imagine a better life for Ace back when he had been suffering from his mother's loss, but sadly he had been unable to. It was almost as if Ace was outright defying the happy endings Sabo wished for him.

And just like Sabo knew everything about his dream love, Ace knew everything there was to know about Sabo. Right down to his self doubts about becoming part of his father's organization. Sabo's dad owned a large corporation dedicated to swindling people out of their earnings. And as the older son, Sabo had to be groomed in everything there was to know about the art of conning, getting partnerships and screwing people over.

Sabo hated it. And he tried to leave it, he had left a handful of times and each time he had been dragged back kicking and screaming.

 _La da la da la ahahahahah_

Gradually their meetings began to get less and less frequent as Sabo dove deeper into his studies. He was learning more than his coursework required, because Sabo wanted to be better than what his father wanted of him. Sabo did not want to be a corporate monkey, he wanted to actually help people. Sabo wanted to be more than his father, he wanted to make a difference in the world no matter how small; and while doing his volunteer work, Sabo met Shanks.

Shanks opened up his mind to all the possibilities he could accomplish with non-profit organizations.

And that was how Sabo set on a path to become a director for an organization that helped less fortunate children receive a better education.

And so his long nights studying began, Sabo became dependant on coffee and when he did see Ace in his dreams, they were fleeting. But still, Sabo cherished the moments he spent with Ace.

As Sabo's pursuit for his desired courses and goals became a higher priority, he began to neglect his studies for his father's company until his grades started slipping.

And then Sabo couldn't find the energy to continue on that path and let it go entirely. Sabo ran away one final time, no longer fearing for his return and signed away his name to his adoptive brother Stelly.

No longer was he Sabo Outlook, but Sabo Kakumei. He was not going to be the money obsessed scumbag that his father was, Sabo was going to be someone people could depend on, and he would change so many lives not for the worst, but for the better.

 _But if I know you_

 _I know what you do_

With the help of the connections he had made in his volunteer work, Sabo was able to find a nice studio apartment to rent.

And just like that, his new life began. Sabo dropped all of his unnecessary classes, and continued his pursuit in getting his degree in the field he had chosen.

When he graduated, Sabo had never felt so free. He knew he was on the right path for himself, and that was enough for him.

With a degree behind him, it wasn't hard for Sabo to find a nice starting position.

The organization he had fallen into was Whitebeard and Son's. A non-profit that helped children from all sorts of backgrounds not only with their education, but medical, legal, and housing needs. Anything a child could ever need to grow up in a safe environment, these people did.

Sabo had heard of them of course, but had never been able to snag an intern position due to one thing or another.

Sabo sat in the lobby, his satchel on his lap as he awaited the person who would show him around and then to his work space.

"Kakumei, Sabo?" A voice asked and Sabo's head snapped so fast towards the source that his neck popped with the strain.

 _It couldn't be._

And yet, there he was.

"Hey, I didn't think that was an actual name: Sabo, I mean. Anyway my name's Ace D. Portgas, don't ask what the D's for all you need to know is tha-" his voice stopped mid-sentence as those gray eyes looked up from his clipboard to stare at Sabo the same way the blonde was staring.

"Ace?" "Sabo?" their names were spoken in unison, echoing each other while the clipboard fell to the ground, long forgotten.

 _You'll love me at once_

 _The way you did once upon a dream_

Sabo's heart beat a mile a minute, drowning everything around him as he continued to stare at Ace with his jaw hitting the floor.

"You're real." Sabo whispered.

Ace snorted, snapping out of his trance and crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course I'm real. And I must've fallen asleep on my desk again, I really need to stop forgetting to take my meds. Sheesh. Long time no see though! How's the studying treating you?"

"I…uh. W-what?" If there was ever a time for Sabo to become a stammering incoherent mess, it was when he was faced with the man of his dreams. "But…y-you, and here? How? This can't! _You_ can't! I can't be sleeping? Oh my fuck, did I forget to turn on my alarm?" Sabo asked Ace as he thought back to the previous night.

Ace's eyebrows pulled pensively as he regarded Sabo with a strange look. "I'm the one asleep, dreams don't sleep? Do they?"

"What?" That word was quickly becoming a favorite of Sabo's as he was caught in this strange dream of his. Was he so worried about working for Whitebeard and Son's that he had to imagine Ace as the one who would show him around? Sabo supposed he did.

 _I know you_

 _I walked with you_

 _Once Upon a dream_

With a chest heaving sigh, Sabo relaxed and smiled, "Don't be silly Ace, dreams can't sleep. But I really appreciate you being here, I hadn't noticed until now just how nervous I was about accepting this job. And really I have you to thank for that, you were the one that gave me the courage to finally leave the path that was decided for me long ago, and now here I am." Sabo gestured to the lobby they were standing in.

Ace grinned and waved Sabo's worries away, "Hey now, I'm happy to help, I'm sorry your life was so rough. But oh man, how awesome would it be for you to work with Oyaji too! And to meet Marco and Haruta, oh and Thatch and Izo. They would all love you."

Those names rung a dim bell in Sabo's mind, but he paid them no mind as he sat back in his chair and smiled, he opened his mouth to reply to Ace when the door opened and an unfamiliar man stepped through.

"Ace, what are you doing, yoi, you're supposed to be showing Mr. Kakumei around not milling around the lobby, or did you forget that your report is due in less than an hour." the blonde man chided, and turned to Sabo with a polite smile.

"If you would like a new escort, Sabo, please let me know. Ace can get a little distracted, yoi."

"Ah no, no it's fine really we were just talking." Sabo assured the man, while Ace looked unconcerned about the aforementioned deadline.

"Don't get your feathers in a twist Marc, I'll wake up soon enough and start on the stupid report." Ace remarked in such a flippant manner that was obviously not taken well by the newcomer.

"Ace." The blonde ground out while pinching the bridge of his nose, "what did we say about the bird remarks? Especially in the office, yoi?"

Ace grinned, "But you really are a bird Marco, watch!" he said and snapped his fingers.

Sabo watched as the two men seemed to be in a standstill. Marco looking as unimpressed as any possible human could, while confusion came over Ace's features. Another snap broke the silence and then another until Ace changed tactics and tried something else.

"Hiken!" Ace yelled as he punched his fist forward and his expression of confusion only deepened, mirroring Sabo's own troubled expression.

This couldn't be.

Ace thought that he was sleeping, while Sabo thought that it was _his_ dream. But he had never seen this Marco person, so it couldn't be his dream? Could it? Sabo pinched his arm and bit back a hiss just as Marco gently cuffed the back of Ace's head.

"Enough Ace, show Mr. Kakumei around and get the report on my desk before nine, yoi." He then turned to Sabo, "If he gives you any trouble just let me know. It is a pleasure to have you with us, Sabo Kakumei."

Ace and Sabo turned to one another as soon as Marco left them alone in the lobby again, and it was then that Sabo began to realize that he was in fact, awake.

 _I know you_

 _That gleam in your eyes_

 _Is so familiar a gleam_

Ace was real!

All of this time, Ace was not just a figment of Sabo's imagination, but a real live human being that was standing right _there_ just a few feet from him.

While Sabo was taking the time to process the information, questioning every little aspect of his life, Ace laughed. It had started off as a small bubbling laughter before it became a joyous laugh that warmed Sabo and pushed away his growing uneasiness.

"I just _knew_ that you had to be real!" Ace cheered and before Sabo knew it, he had encompassed Sabo in a tight hug, laughing and spinning them around the lobby until Sabo was laughing too.

 _Ace was real!_

Sabo's best friend was not just something his mind had made up, he was alive and he was there with Sabo! It was as if his biggest most precious dream had come true and Sabo was just so _happy!_

Sabo returned the embrace as their laughter became breathless chuckles and he basked in the warmth that was Ace.

"I can't believe it." Sabo murmured, "How is this possible, and why I am I not bothered by this?"

"What's there to be bothered by?" Ace laughed. "All that matters is that you are here, and so am I. It's almost like…" he trailed off trying to place the words where they belonged.

"Like you found a piece of yourself you didn't know was missing?" Sabo supplied.

"Yes!" Ace smiled, and Sabo was transported back to the first smile he remembered, the fiery bright light that banished the darkness in his darkest nightmares. "That's exactly it!"

 _Yet I know it's true_

 _That visions are seldom what they seem_

Needless to say that Ace did not leave Sabo's side the rest of the day and questions were asked from both parties, each of them bringing up dreams they remembered, good and bad.

Sabo was saddened to know that Ace had truly lost his mother at a young age and had then hopped from home to home, but he was also slightly relieved to know that _he_ had not been responsible for giving Ace such a dark past.

"So what do you think it means?" Sabo asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The Pixar theory." Sabo rolled his eyes, "What do you think I mean Ace? The dreams. Any thoughts on why we just appeared to each other in dreams?"

Ace laughed, "I actually have my own theories on that, like do you think Wall-E was a cannibal and ate the other cleaning robots."

"You're such a dork." Sabo laughed.

Ace continued, "I take that as a compliment, but I guess the dreams were meant for this." Ace gestured to them, and how they were both sitting at the edge of a pier, ice creams in hand.

 _But if I know you_

 _I know what you do_

 _You'll love me at once_

"I think they were meant to be a guide that would lead up to this moment. Where I would finally get to meet the most amazing person I got to know."

Sabo's heart was picking up speed, drumming against his ears as Ace's warm gray eyes captured Sabo and held him with their gentle honesty.

"Do you believe in soulmates, Sabo?"

Sabo's breath was a barely audible whisper against the roar of the ocean. "I do now."

 _The way you did once upon a dream_

* * *

 **This honestly turned out differently than I had expected, but I love it either way. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Soulmate AU's are the best and this song has been pining for this pair for ages guys!** _ **Ages.**_

 **Please let me know what you think!?**

 **Till next time!~**


	14. All I want for Christmas (is you) MAS

**Hey Guys!~ Do you know how hard it is to** _ **not**_ **write angst? No? Then I somewhat envy you, you poor poor soul, anywho! Happy Holidays, first off. Christmas is here and I do hope that everyone gets at least** _ **one**_ **thing that was on their Christmas list.~**

 **This little song fic is for a fun little event the wonderful Snek in the MAS Discord chat was so amazing in organizing! My giftee is PotatoTrace and I do hope you enjoy this. P.S I'm sorry Tracey 3 Love you!~**

 **Song / Movie: All I want for Christmas is you - Mariah Carey**

 **Pairing: MAS - SabAce**

 **Summary: Sabo had thought what he wanted was friendship, but was what he was searching for something deeper than that?**

 **Disclaimer, I own nothing in regards to One Piece or any other referenced media. Enjoy!~**

* * *

 _I don't want a lot for Christmas_

 _There is just one thing I need_

 _I don't care about the presents_

 _Underneath the Christmas tree_

Sabo sat by the fireplace, with his back to the warm fire and his large green eyes on mountain of presents that sat underneath the large 15 foot tall christmas tree. There were at least fifty wrapped boxes of differing sizes piled underneath the tree, and Sabo knew without a doubt that the majority of them were his, who else could they belong to when he was the only child?

Normally one would assume that Sabo was living the dream. Sabo was the single child to a wealthy family, he had anything he could ever want in terms of what money could buy. But what about what money _couldn't_ buy?

Sabo had parents sure, but he never once had their attention. From the minute he was born, Sabo was handed over to a nanny who raised him until his father decided she was not being a good influence because she filled his imagination with far away adventures. After his nanny was fired, he got a governess who was more to his parent's likings, one who schooled him in not only the basic subjects but also focused alot on business material. Sabo was five, there was only so much his brain could grasp.

Pretty soon Sabo was enrolled into private school and learned that just like his parents, those kids didn't really care about making any connections other than business ones. If Sabo wasn't in the market for trading information about companies and setting up partnership deals, then the children cared not to get to know him.

Sabo was beginning to think that friends were a myth until one fateful day that he was walking alongside a sidewalk on his way home. Sabo had been able to talk his father into letting him walk to and from school, so that he could assess the advertisements and see what the general public liked, it was a blatant lie that apparently worked and got him another few minutes of freedom from the stifling walls that were his home.

Sabo was walking slowly, trying to make the walk last as much as possible when all of a sudden, a freezing slushy mass slapped him across the face. Sabo's feet stopped moving and he stood in the middle of the street stunned and wide eyed as the melting snow slid off of his warm cheek and onto his shoulder as laughter reached his ear.

Sabo's large eyes looked over to the boy who was laughing at him, eyes closed and laughter creating small puffs of air around his mouth while other kids around him looked on unsure of how to react, some smiling tentatively, and a few looking worried. By all rights Sabo should be mad, seething even. He was just attacked by this kid with a ball of snow.

 _I just want you for my own_

 _More than you could ever know_

 _Make my wish come true oh_

 _All I want for Christmas is you_

"Whats'a matter kid? Ain't ever been hit with a snowball before?" the freckled boy asked after he stopped laughing and dusted off Sabo's sodden shoulder.

Sabo had two choices in that moment, to be an utter embarrassment and tell the other kid that _no_ he had never engaged in one of these fabled snowball fights, or lie through his teeth and give some half assed excuse of why he had been caught off guard. Sabo didn't know why, but he didn't like the idea of coming off as a fool to the boy and his friends, so he puffed out his chest and lied his ass off.

"I just wasn't expecting to get ambushed is all… got room for one more?" Sabo asked the boy and looked past him to the group that was waiting for him to return.

The boy immediately brightened, "Hell yeah we do, what's your name anyway kid? Mine's Ace and that's Marco, Thatch, Izo, Luffy, Nami, Law, Zoro, Sanji, and Koala."

Sabo was not in the least overwhelmed with the names as he let a smile come to his lips easily enough, and waved only slightly awkwardly in their direction, "Hello, my name is Sabo, it's a pleasure to meet you all."

The kid with the large hair laughed, "Look at that Marco he talks just like you!"

The aforementioned child, Marco, looked over to the laughing redhead and sighed, "No he does not, yoi."

"Well I guess not _exactly_ with that tic of yours bird brain, but close enough."

Next to Sabo Ace laughed again, "Don't worry they do this all the time, c'mon you're on my team."

 _I don't want a lot for Christmas_

 _There is just one thing I need, and I_

 _Don't care about the presents_

 _Underneath the Christmas tree_

Sabo had stayed out that day until the sun set and when he returned home, he was scolded and consequently punished, there would be no sleigh ride for him that year. Sabo was disappointed and yet at the same time, he was not. Sabo had learned that even someone like him, who had never had friends, _could_ have them. And that someone like Ace, was capable of wanting _Sabo_ as a friend.

All Sabo wanted that Christmas was to have friends, primarily the one that made it happen, Ace.

 _I don't need to hang my stocking_

 _There upon the fireplace_

 _Santa Claus won't make me happy_

 _With a toy on Christmas day_

Sabo didn't see those kids again the next day, or even when winter break released him from his classes. Sabo walked home and retraced his steps in order to _possibly_ bump into one or two of the children from the group. But nothing of the sort happened and he had to trudge home in disappointment.

Christmas came and went and Saint Nick didn't give him what he had wished for.

Sabo didn't see Ace and his friends again the following week either, nor on new years; and pretty soon the year began to pass without a single sighting of them.

And yet, each year Sabo passed by the same street with that same hope, that Ace and his friends would be there throwing snowballs again. Sabo even refused going along with his parents to their island resort in order to wait by that street.

It was the first Christmas Sabo spent without them, it wasn't like they were always present during it, but at least they were home.

And again Santa let Sabo down, there were no children waiting for him to play with. No friends to be given to him.

 _I just want you for my own_

 _More than you could ever know_

 _Make my wish come true_

 _All I want for Christmas is you_

This became a cycle pretty soon, Sabo knew that he should let it go and move on. But… he _couldn't._

That year soon evolved into a second, and then a third, and Sabo began to forget the many faces that he had committed to memory when he was ten. And by the time he was seventeen, he had all but forgotten how they looked like. He had also forgotten their names.

Sabo had more or less convinced himself that it was a dream his younger self had had and moved on into the corporate world that his father had wanted for him.

Sabo graduated at the top of his class and with a year to spare, he was out a few months after his seventeenth birthday and on his way to his interview to his very first internship.

The meeting went spectacular, and Sabo was sure he had locked in the position without really needing to try. His parents would be pleased to know that, but Sabo… he didn't really feel as if he had accomplished anything. Sure he was educated and knew the ins and outs of the business world and trade, but was he really happy?

Sabo had stayed up countless nights wondering this very thing, just as he did now as he sat on a park bench, watching small children run along the grass, large smiles on their faces.

"Hey watch out!"

Sabo heard the cry right before something very solid and fast hit the back of his head. Sabo's head whipped forward and he clutched at the sore spot just in time to tune back in to the repeated apologies of the person above him.

"–rry, I didn't–fuck, the ball–are you okay? Fuck that's a stupid question, how many fingers am I holding up?"

Sabo's glare became stunned shock as he looked up to the guy above him, his wide green eyes meeting the other's concerned gray ones.

"Whats'a matter, are you not able to count?" A panic rose within the other and he looked over Sabo and called out for help, "Marco, he can't count!"

 _I won't ask for much this Christmas_

 _I won't even wish for snow, and I_

 _I just wanna keep on waiting_

 _Underneath the mistletoe_

Pretty soon Sabo found himself surrounded by a group of teens, one of them pressing a cold pack against his head and shining a beam into his eyes until his surprise wore off and he was able to push away the overbearing hands.

"I'm fine, please." Sabo began and sighed, "Thanks for the cold pack, and yes I _can_ count." he said shooting a glance over to the guilty looking one with a frown, "I was just… taken off guard."

The guy at the very least had the decency to look sheepish and bowed low, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you, the ball slipped and it flew over here and–"

"And, if you need to see a doctor, we can take care of all the medical fees, yoi." the one who had given Sabo the cold pack interrupted and Sabo shook his head, only wincing slightly with the action.

"Na I'll be okay, tender for a day or so, but fine… thank you for the offer though. Now if you'll excuse me." Sabo made to stand and was surprised when someone blocked his path.

"Hey, before you go at least let me make up for this by treating you to lunch or something?" and there was that smile again, so bright Sabo didn't doubt it could eclipse the sun.

"Uh–sure?" despite his words, Sabo didn't feel _too_ sure about accepting this strangers invitation, but that combination of his, the smile, eyes, and freckles; there was something there that Sabo was supposed to recognize.

"Awesome! Let's go now, I'll see you at home Marc, tell Lu I'll be help him with his homework later." and with that he turned to Sabo and turned his world upside down. "My name's Ace, and yours?"

 _I won't make a list and send it_

 _To the North Pole for Saint Nick_

 _I won't even stay awake_

 _To hear those magic reindeer click_

Sabo hadn't jumped down Ace's throat the moment he realized that this Ace was the same Ace of his childhood and demanded to ask why Ace hadn't searched for him as Sabo had, because that would have been childish. Sabo had remained silent about the coincidence and wondered if Ace remembered their previous meeting.

Just as their meal was ending, Ace confirmed Sabo's ponderings on that though. "I… I'm sorry if I'm just assuming here, but are you the same Sabo who once had a snowball fight with a bunch of kids?"

Sabo nodded, eyebrows knitting as he wondered where exactly Ace would take that conversation.

The freckled boy smiled, "I thought so, I remembered your eyes. We were starting to think you weren't real because we never saw you again, we tried to go back, but some of the cops kept running us away, something about ' _stinkin' slum kids'_." Ace chuckled, "Anyway, we're sorry we never got to hang out again, it was fun that day and you guys really did have some great snowball throwing snow."

"I'd like that too." Sabo blurted and then reddened as he reeled back his enthusiasm. "I mean, I would like that… to hang out with you more if you want?"

Ace's bright smile came back and Sabo's redness deepened. "Of course I would, here I'll give you my number."

And just like that, they fell into friendship and somewhere along the way, it became more than that and deeper feelings were shared.

 _'Cause I just want you here tonight_

 _Holding on to me so tight_

 _What more can I do_

 _Oh, Baby all I want for Christmas is you_

And it was in that year that they shared their first Christmas together. Sabo for once didn't spend it at home and alone, but surrounded by Ace's abundant family as they laughed and enjoyed their evening. Some of them already getting so drunk they couldn't walk properly.

It was a nice change as opposed to what he was used to, but Sabo welcomed it.

The liveliness of the household was so overwhelming that Sabo couldn't help but let himself be carried along with it. Sabo joined in on the singing and merriment. And in that moment Sabo could truly appreciate what it meant to be in a family.

It turned out that Ace was part of a group of fostered and then adopted kids, along with his many brothers and sisters. Sabo hadn't even known such a thing was real, but was happy for all of his new friends that it indeed was true for them and they had found their home, no their family right then and there.

 _All the lights are shining_

 _So brightly everywhere_

 _And the sound of children's_

 _Laughter fills the air_

Over time the situation at home began to get more and more complicated, Sabo hadn't necessarily told his parents about Ace and the activities that he was involved in because he knew that his father would never approve. They questioned where he was spending his time, and Sabo made up excuses about the internship demanding more work of him than it actually did.

It wasn't until the next christmas eve was just around the corner when his father confronted Sabo about it and told him that he had had a talk with Sabo's employer who denied that Sabo was running extra errands for him as Sabo had stated.

 _And everyone is singing_

 _I hear those sleigh bells ringing_

 _Santa won't you bring me_

 _The one I really need_

 _Won't you please bring my baby to me quickly_

So Sabo came clean about what he was doing, and the new world that he had stumbled into, and he was loving.

His father was furious. Even went as far as to forbid Sabo from engaging in his newfound "activities" telling him that he had a legacy to uphold, an obligation. And that such people would not be permitted into his son's life.

Sabo had been furious and defended his position.

To which his father gave him an ultimatum. His house, his rules; if Sabo could not abide by his father's wishes, then he was not allowed in his father's house.

Sabo was numb after that, the choice was clear. But it still weighed on him.

 _I don't want a lot for Christmas_

 _This is all I'm asking for_

 _I just wanna see my baby_

 _Standing right outside my door_

Sabo was disowned that Christmas eve and standing in the cold at the gate of Whitebeards house, his numb hands holding onto the one bag he was able to pack, or was he?

"Sabo?" the voice asked softly and Sabo turned to look at Ace who was looking on in curiosity and then in concern as he reached over to Sabo's pale cheeks, wiping away at the wetness he hadn't even known he had.

"What's wrong? And what's with the bag?" Ace asked as he scooped it up. "Not running away on Christmas are you?" Ace asked and Sabo appreciated his attempt to lighten up the mood but his smile fell before it could fully form.

"Can't really run away when you don't have a home to run from, you know?"

Ace's concern only deepened as he put two and two together, "Fuck, oh shit. I'm sorry Bo… I didn't mean to, but why are you standing out here in the snow, do you want to catch a cold? C'mon let's get you into something warm and I heard Thatch was making his famous hot chocolate, I'll get you extra marshmallows if you want."

 _I just want you for my own_

 _More than you could ever know_

 _Make my wish come true_

 _Baby all I want for Christmas is you_

Sabo didn't protest to being moved from his spot, nor being shoved into a bathroom to catch a warm bath and the clothes that were given to him were a little too large, but they were warm and comfortable and they smelled like Ace.

Ace then lead Sabo down to his room and sat him on the bed where he enveloped Sabo in a hug. They didn't speak for hours it seemed until Sabo glanced at the clock and noticed that it was no longer the same day, but Christmas day.

"Merry Christmas, Acey. I hope you get what you wanted this year."

Ace hummed in thought and a soft kiss was pressed to Sabo's cheek. _"All I want for Christmas is you, Sabo*."_

* * *

 **And I hope you like it ^^; I'm sorry for the angst I really am, but look a happy ending!~ And no deaths! I'm sorry I couldn't MAS T^T the trio eluded this particular song and setting, but now that Sabo lived with the Whitebeards it could happen right? ;3c**

 **The only Lyric here changed was Baby to Sabo for Ace's last spoken line ^^**

 **I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Till next time!~**


End file.
